Italian Wedding Soup

Food and Wine Magazine

What's the Real Story of Wedding Soup?

There's a soup made of broth, vegetables, pasta, and teeny-tiny meatballs that we all know and love as "Italian wedding soup."

But why? Why it is called wedding soup?

Some say that, long ago, the soup was created as a hearty meal to fortify the bride and groom with enough strength and vigor to ensure a "memorable" night of wedded bliss. 

Although this story might be tantalizing, it is a misunderstanding of the Italian name: Minestra maritata, wedding soup, is a reference not to a matrimony of couples, but rather a blending or harmony of flavors. Savory bits of meat, salty broth, sweet onions, and bitter greens create a melange of tastes and textures that meld—or marry—together.
Originally this soup was not a sumptuous feast reserved for only the finest of occasions. It's actually a peasant dish made of broth, whatever leftover meats might be found (or none at all), and whatever bitter greens were in season. The Americanized version (the one we enjoy today) is a much heartier fare, bulked up with more vegetables and plump little morsels of pasta.

You don't have to eat at an Italian restaurant to get a good bowl of this soup, nor do you have to settle for second- (or third-) best from a can. You can actually make this at home. Let me explain to you each of the components and how they work together to make this "marriage" of flavors.

Let's get started.

Italian Wedding Soup

Step 1: Make the Meatballs

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound ground turkey (7 percent fat)
• 1/2 pound turkey sausage, casings removed
• 2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the ground turkey, turkey sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, cheese, cream, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Combine gently. (You might wish to use a fork, but I do it the old-fashioned nonna way, with my fingertips). Don't be too heavy-handed with your mixing or your meatballs will be tough.
3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and space them evenly on the pan (you should have about 48 meatballs).
4. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

Step 2: Make the Broth

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced (1 cup)
• 2 or 3 carrots, peeled and cut into small dice (1 cup)
• 2 stalks of celery tender inner stalks and leaves, cut into fine dice (1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 10 cups homemade chicken stock

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over low heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring several times, until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic and continue to cook until the vegetables begin to soften. Don't let the garlic brown; it will burn and become bitter.
2. Stir in the wine and increase the heat to medium. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated then stir in the chicken stock.

Step 3: Cook the Greens, Pasta, and Finish the Soup

Ingredients

• 12 ounces greens, washed, center ribs removed, and sliced into thin ribbons
• 1 cup small pasta such as ditalini

Instructions

1. Bring the broth to a simmer. Add the greens, stir and cover. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the greens are wilted and tender.
2. Add the pasta and continue to cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
3. Add the meatballs to the soup and simmer until heated, about 1-2 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

Yield: 8 servings