Shortcut Italian Wedding Soup Recipe • Food Folks and Fun (2024)

Pin

Share

Tweet

Share

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of CarandoⓇ. The opinions and text are all mine.

Shortcut Italian Wedding Soup Recipe • Food Folks and Fun (1)

This shortcut Italian Wedding Soup recipe is an easy and delicious meal that is perfect for soup season. The soup is so easy to make and also filling!

Classic Italian Wedding Soup takes lots of time to make. The broth is usually simmered with meat and veggies and then reduced to concentrate the flavors over 3-4 hours. The meatballs are also usually mixed and rolled by hand.

To speed up this classic recipe I opted for a couple of shortcuts. I added lots of flavor to my broth by cooking the onions and garlic in white wine and adding in fennel seeds and Worcestershire sauce. I also used Carando Abruzzese Italian Style Meatballs, because they’re so tasty and taste just like homemade! You can find them in the refrigerated meats section at WinCo. They’re made of raw meat so you will have to cook them before serving.

Shortcut Italian Wedding Soup Recipe • Food Folks and Fun (2)

I shopped for all of the Italian Wedding Soup ingredients at WinCo because they carry my favorite store-bought meatballs, Carando Abruzzese Italian Style Meatballs. They’re my favorite because they have a robust flavor and they’re made with quality ingredients. They’re perfect for when my family wants authentic, from-scratch Italian comfort food, but I just don’t have the time to make it.

For more recipe ideas like my Shortcut Italian Wedding Soup, check out the Carando website.

Shortcut Italian Wedding Soup Recipe • Food Folks and Fun (3)Common Italian Wedding Soup Recipe Questions Answered:

What is Italian wedding soup made of?

Italian wedding soup is made up of all things yummy! The recipe calls for onions, garlic, white wine, fennel seeds, oregano, chicken broth, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Carando Abruzzese Italian Style Meatballs, kale, and pasta. All make for such a delicious combination.

Is Italian wedding soup from Italy?

The phrase “wedding soup” comes from the Italian term “minestra maritata” which translates to married soup. That is kinda funny, but it makes total sense. It is referring to the flavor which results after combining (or marrying) the meat and greens. So this soup actually has nothing at all to do with dishes being served at weddings and everything to do with the marriage of flavors. And I for one, am in full support of this union!

Shortcut Italian Wedding Soup Recipe • Food Folks and Fun (4)

What goes well with wedding soup?

A classic simple salad would pair nicely with this soup. Some nice crusty bread would compliment the soup nicely. If you are in need of a dessert to go along with your main dish, then check out my Cannoli recipe.

Cook’s Note:

  • Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I do not suggest letting the soup store for longer than that, because the pasta will become very soft.
  • Instead of ditalini pasta, you can use orzo or acini de pepe pasta.

Shortcut Italian Wedding Soup Recipe • Food Folks and Fun (5)

6 people

This shortcut Italian Wedding Soup recipe is an easy and delicious meal that is perfect for soup season. The soup is so easy to make and also filling!

Equipment

  • large heavy-bottomed pot

  • wooden spoon

  • cutting board

  • chef's knife

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 4 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped Oregano
  • 16 oz package Carando Abruzzese Italian Style Meatballs
  • 1 cup dry ditalini pasta
  • 4 oz baby kale

FOR GARNISH:

  • Grated Parmesan

Instructions

  • Add olive oil to large heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent and the edges begin to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  • Stir in white wine and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes.

  • Stir in broth, water, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and oregano and increase heat to medium-high. Bring mixture or a boil and then reduce heat to low.

  • Add meatballs and pasta and cook for 10 minutes, or until pasta is tender and meatballs are cooked through.

  • Stir in kale and cook for 1 minute. Finally, season the ​soup with salt and pepper and serve with grated Parmesan.

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 957mg | Potassium: 623mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1902IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2mg

did you love this recipe?

Share it with me on Facebook and find more recipes on foodfolksandfun for more!

Shortcut Italian Wedding Soup Recipe • Food Folks and Fun (7)

Related Posts

40+ Soup, Chili, and Stew Recipes Round-Up
75+ Delicious and Easy Chicken Thigh Recipes
Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

subscribe for new recipes

Get all the latest recipes in your inbox!

connect with us

Make sure to tag #foodfolksandfun on instagram!

Jillian

I’m Jillian, the creator behind Food Folks and Fun. I have over 30 years of experience cooking for others. There’s nothing I love more than cooking for my family. Food is love, and cooking isn’t just putting a meal on a plate: It’s putting a little part of myself into that meal.

Leave a Reply

  1. Such a great recipe! Thank you for the shortcuts!

    Reply

  2. this looks delish!! I love the sound of this soup, especially with the shortcut, these would be such an healthy, easy weeknight meal!

    Reply

  3. I love any good shortcut recipe especially one that looks like it has all the flavor of the more labor intensive one. Thanks for this! Can’t wait to try it.

    Reply

  4. This soup is awesome for Dinner. Love the meat ball option in it. Almost a meal too

    Reply

  5. what a great shortcut, one of my all time favorite soups!

    Reply

  6. Shortcuts on classic recipes are always welcome with me – you’ve made this soup much more achievable. Thanks for the great recipe.

    Reply

  7. This sounds like such a delicious soup and perfect for colder autumn days. I never knew why it was called wedding soup before either!

    Reply

  8. Jill
    This is great. I made it, froze it, in container for friend having surgery. She loved it.

    This is a keeper. Thank you.

    Reply

  9. You know what? I’m all about shortcuts, so this recipe looks fantastic! And my kids would probably love the soup too, with those meatballs. Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply

    1. So glad this recipe will come in handy, enjoy! 🙂

      Reply

Jillian Wade | Food Folks and Fun is a participant of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This costs you nothing, but it helps keep this blog running on butter…lots of butter!

Shortcut Italian Wedding Soup Recipe • Food Folks and Fun (2024)

FAQs

What do Italians call Italian wedding soup? ›

The name “wedding soup” comes from the Italian phrase minestra maritata—or “married soup”—which is a reference to the way the flavors combine, like a happy marriage. Wedding soup is traditionally made from a rich, long-cooked homemade chicken stock.

What's in Campbell's Italian wedding soup? ›

CHICKEN BROTH (WATER, CHICKEN STOCK), BEEF MEATBALLS (SOY), ACINI DE PEPE PASTA (WHEAT FLOUR, EGG WHITE), SPINACH, POTATO STARCH, SALT, DRIED ONION, PARMESAN AND CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK), DRIED GARLIC, SPICES, FLAVOUR (CONTAINS CELERY), MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, ...

Do you eat Italian wedding soup at a wedding? ›

No, it's not the traditional soup of nuptials! The name wedding comes from the Italian phrase minestra maritata which means 'married soup. ' Why is it married? It's the marriage of ingredients, and the resulting delicious flavor, in the soup!

What is the most famous soup in Italy? ›

Minestrone is a classic Italian soup known worldwide as one of the best Italian soups. It's got a flavorful broth and a variety of slow-cooked vegetables like potatoes, peas, and carrots. Adding Italian sausage gives it a kick of flavor and a shot of protein, so it's a complete meal all by itself.

How to make canned Italian wedding soup better? ›

Canned Italian wedding soup can be amped up with sausage.

Italian wedding soup consists of vegetables, meatballs, and small pasta noodles, so the sausage can add a nice kick of flavor. "I always add Sriracha and freshly grated parmesan to brighten it up," he added.

What is a substitute for escarole in Italian wedding soup? ›

Fresh spinach: If you're not a fan of bitter greens, substitute bunched or baby spinach for the traditional escarole or kale in Italian wedding soup. Add the spinach later in the cooking process, as it takes only a few minutes to cook. Thawed and chopped frozen spinach works in a pinch, too.

What is the original name of Italian wedding soup? ›

Rather, its name is a (somewhat) literal translation of its original Italian name of 'minestra maritata', which translates to 'married broth', referring to the fact that greens plus meat together in a broth were a perfect 'marriage of flavors'.

Why do they call it Italian wedding soup? ›

The term wedding soup comes from a mistranslation of the Italian language phrase minestra maritata ('married soup'). Minestra maritata more directly translates to 'wedded broths'. The marriage of its meats and veggies inside of its broth is the only matrimony relevant in this context.

Does Italian wedding soup exist in Italy? ›

While Italian wedding soup is quite popular in the U.S., this soup is not actually Italian. It is not known exactly where the dish came from, but it is assumed that it originated from a melding of Italian and American cuisine. While it is a delicious soup, you won't be able to order it in Italy!

What do Italians drink at weddings? ›

How does an aperitivo in Italy work during a wedding? Italians start with lighter drinks, like prosecco or prosecco-based co*cktails (Hugo, Rossini, Bellini), Rosé, red or white wine, or Aperol Spritz.

Is there Italian wedding soup in Italy? ›

There is no such thing as an Italian wedding soup. In Naples there is “minestra maritata” in which the word “maritata” (married) refers to the union of ingredients not to an actual wedding, hence it is a mistranslation operated by Americans of Italian ancestry who do not speak Italian.

Does Italy have Italian wedding soup? ›

Not at all. Today's Italians have never heard of it. The soup originated in Spain as a “marriage” of hearty greens and several kinds of meats. It was brought to Naples after the Spaniards took over rule of Naples in 1501, where it was called minestra maritata, or married soup.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Kerri Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 5924

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (67 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Kerri Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1992-10-31

Address: Suite 878 3699 Chantelle Roads, Colebury, NC 68599

Phone: +6111989609516

Job: Chief Farming Manager

Hobby: Mycology, Stone skipping, Dowsing, Whittling, Taxidermy, Sand art, Roller skating

Introduction: My name is Kerri Lueilwitz, I am a courageous, gentle, quaint, thankful, outstanding, brave, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.