Easy & Hearty Barefoot Contessa Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

Italian wedding soup weaves a comforting narrative of warmth and tradition, inviting you into a culinary embrace that transcends simple nourishment.

Generations have cherished this hearty dish, celebrating its roots in rustic Italian kitchens where love simmers alongside delicate ingredients.

Rich broth mingles with tender meatballs, creating a symphony of flavors that dance across your palate with unexpected grace.

Delicate herbs and vegetables whisper stories of countryside gatherings, where families connected over steaming bowls of pure comfort.

Carefully crafted meatballs, nestled in a fragrant landscape of greens and pasta, represent more than just a meal – they symbolize connection and heritage.

Robust yet elegant, this soup transforms ordinary ingredients into an extraordinary experience that resonates with both simplicity and depth.

Each spoonful promises a journey through authentic culinary traditions that warm both body and soul: prepare to be transported.

What Makes Contessa Italian Wedding Soup So Hearty

• Craft Flavor-Packed Mini Morsels: Chicken meatballs blend ground chicken and sausage, creating irresistibly juicy and succulent bites that burst with Italian-inspired seasonings in every spoonful.
• Whip Up a Comforting One-Pot Wonder: This soup combines tender vegetables, hearty pasta, and protein-rich meatballs in a single pot, making cleanup a breeze and delivering maximum flavor with minimal effort.
• Elevate Weeknight Dining with Gourmet Ease: Despite its restaurant-quality taste, this recipe comes together in under an hour, transforming ordinary ingredients into an impressive meal that feels like a special occasion without requiring professional cooking skills.
• Nourish with Balanced Nutrition: Packed with lean protein from chicken, vibrant vegetables, and a light broth, this soup offers a wholesome meal that satisfies hunger while providing a balanced and nutritious dining experience.

All the Ingredients for Contessa Italian Wedding Soup

• Ground Chicken, Sausage: Tender and flavorful base for meatballs with a nice blend of meats.

• Parmesan Cheese, Milk, Egg: Adds richness, helps bind meatballs together, and provides creamy texture.

• Bread Crumbs, Garlic, Parsley, Salt, Pepper: Enhances meatball flavor, creates perfect texture, and provides aromatic herbs.

• Chicken Stock, White Wine: Creates a rich, deep flavor foundation for the soup.

• Onion, Carrots, Celery: Classic soup base vegetables that provide depth and sweetness.

• Pasta, Spinach: Adds texture and nutritional value to the soup.

• Olive Oil, Dill, Extra Parmesan Cheese: Provides cooking medium, adds fresh herb flavor, and allows additional cheese garnish.

How to Prepare Contessa Italian Wedding Soup

Step 1: Warm Up the Oven

Crank your oven to 350°F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Step 2: Craft Chicken Meatballs

• Ground chicken
• Sausage
• Bread crumbs
• Minced garlic
• Chopped parsley
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Milk
• Egg
• Salt
• Black pepper

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Using a small spoon, shape tiny meatballs and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Slide the tray into the oven and bake for 30 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Step 3: Create Veggie Base

• Diced onions
• Chopped carrots
• Sliced celery

Sauté the vegetables until they soften and become fragrant, about 5-6 minutes.

Step 4: Build Soup Foundation

Pour in chicken stock and white wine. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook until perfectly tender, around 6-8 minutes. Sprinkle in fresh dill and gently drop in the prepared meatballs. Let everything simmer together for 1 minute.

Step 5: Finish and Serve

Give the soup a quick taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Stir in fresh spinach leaves and cook until they wilt, about 1 minute. Ladle into warm bowls and shower with extra Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Chef’s Tips for a Delicious Contessa Wedding Soup

• Craft Precise Meatballs: Gently fold ingredients with a fork, avoiding heavy handling to maintain a light, tender texture throughout your chicken meatballs.
• Maximize Herb Freshness: Grab bright green parsley and crisp dill moments before chopping to lock in maximum flavor and vibrant color.
• Protect Pasta Perfection: Drop pasta during the soup's final cooking minutes, ensuring a perfect al dente texture without turning mushy.
• Build Flavor Foundations: Slowly caramelize vegetables in the pot, creating a deep, rich base that transforms the entire soup's taste profile.
• Elevate Cheese Finish: Grate Parmesan cheese directly over steaming bowls, allowing the heat to release its nutty, complex aromatics just before serving.

Maintaining Contessa Italian Wedding Soup

• Freezer Preservation: Divide soup into individual portion-sized containers for quick and convenient meal planning. Separate meatballs from broth to prevent texture degradation, ensuring each component maintains its original quality and taste.
• Refrigeration Strategy: Seal soup in airtight glass containers, which prevent flavor absorption and maintain freshness better than plastic. Store within two hours of cooking to maximize food safety and prevent bacterial growth.
• Reheating Technique: Gently warm soup on stovetop using low heat, adding fresh chicken stock to restore moisture and prevent meatballs from becoming tough. Stir occasionally and taste before serving to ensure optimal flavor and temperature.

Interesting Variations of Contessa Italian Wedding Soup

• Spicy Chicken Kick: Replace ground chicken with spicy Italian sausage and add red pepper flakes for an extra heat boost.
• Mediterranean Herb Blend: Swap dill for fresh oregano and basil, incorporating sun-dried tomatoes for a rich Mediterranean flavor profile.
• Protein Power Version: Substitute pasta with quinoa or cauliflower rice for a lower-carb, higher-protein alternative that maintains the soup's heartiness.
• Vegetarian Transformation: Replace chicken meatballs with plant-based meatballs made from lentils, mushrooms, and herbs, using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock to create a completely meat-free version.

Concluding Note on Contessa Italian Wedding Soup

Classic Italian Wedding Soup emerges as culinary poetry, blending hearty chicken meatballs with delicate spinach and aromatic herbs.

Ina Garten’s signature recipe transforms simple ingredients into a comforting masterpiece that whispers Mediterranean traditions.

Delicate meatballs dance with tender pasta, creating harmonious flavor profiles that speak directly to soul-warming comfort.

Balanced textures and rich seasonings elevate this soup beyond mere sustenance into a memorable dining experience.

Passionate cooks discover Mediterranean magic through carefully selected ingredients and precise techniques.

Salt-kissed broth and herbaceous notes invite you to savor each spoonful, share this extraordinary recipe with cherished friends, double-tap for culinary love, and spread delicious inspiration across social platforms.

Barefoot Contessa Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

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4.7 from 26 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Rich Italian wedding soup brings together tender meatballs and delicate greens in a hearty broth. Satisfying comfort from Ina Garten’s classic recipe delights with its perfect balance of savory herbs and rustic Italian flavors you’ll crave.

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Ingredients

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Protein:

• 0.75 pound ground chicken
• 0.5 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

Vegetables and Herbs:

• 1 cup minced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced carrots (0.25-inch)
• 0.75 cup diced celery (0.25-inch)
• 12 ounces (340 grams) baby spinach, washed and trimmed
• 0.25 cup minced fresh dill
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

Remaining Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 10 cups homemade chicken stock
• 0.5 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup small pasta (e.g., tubetini or stars)
• ⅔ cup fresh white bread crumbs
• 0.25 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 0.25 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons milk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Warm the kitchen oven to 350°F (175°C). Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, ensuring complete surface coverage.
2. Create savory protein spheres by combining ground chicken, Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, minced garlic, chopped fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, whole milk, beaten egg, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper in a mixing bowl. Gently form compact, uniform meatballs using a small spoon, arranging them evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Roast meatballs in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, ensuring they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and develop a golden-brown exterior.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the soup foundation by heating extra virgin olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low temperature. Introduce diced onions, sliced carrots, and chopped celery, sautéing until vegetables become tender and translucent, roughly 5-6 minutes.
5. Pour chicken broth and dry white wine into the vegetable mixture, bringing the liquid to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, approximately 6-8 minutes.
6. Incorporate fresh dill and the roasted meatballs into the soup, allowing them to simmer together for one minute to meld flavors.
7. Finish the soup by adding fresh spinach leaves, cooking until they wilt and turn vibrant green, about 1 minute. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
8. Serve the soup piping hot, garnishing with additional grated Parmesan cheese for an extra layer of richness.

Notes

• Bake meatballs on a lined baking sheet for easy cleanup and consistent golden-brown exterior.
• Grating Parmesan directly into meat mixture ensures rich, cheesy flavor throughout each tender bite.
• Mixing ground chicken with Italian sausage creates complex, multilayered taste that elevates classic soup.
• Fresh herbs like parsley transform ordinary meatballs into restaurant-quality culinary delights.
• Uniform sizing using a small teaspoon guarantees perfectly cooked, professional-looking meatballs every time.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
• Method: Baking, Sautéing
• Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6
• Calories: 350 kcal
• Sugar: 3 g
• Sodium: 650 mg
• Fat: 15 g
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 35 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 25 g
• Cholesterol: 90 mg