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A bowl of Italian Wedding Soup with turkey meatballs and some crusty bread.
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4.78 from 9 votes

Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs Recipe

Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs combines mini ground turkey meatballs with veggies, orzo pasta, and a tasty broth. Serve this delicious Italian soup with parmesan cheese and some crusty bread!
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Keyword italian wedding soup, turkey meatball Italian wedding soup
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 411kcal
Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

For the mini meatballs: (approximately 44 mini meatballs)

  • 1 pound ground turkey - or turkey sausage
  • 1 pound lean ground beef - or use pork sausage
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper - to taste
  • 1/4 cup cold water

For the soup:

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 large carrots - peeled and diced
  • 4 stalks celery - diced
  • 1 large onion - diced
  • 3 whole garlic cloves - minced
  • 6 cups chicken broth - or more
  • 6 cups beef broth - or more
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 parmesan rind - optional
  • 1 1/2 cups dried orzo pasta - use less if you like a thinner soup
  • 4 cups fresh spinach - stems removed
  • kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper - to taste
  • Parmesan cheese - for serving

Instructions

For the meatballs:

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, turkey sausage, eggs, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, spices and water. Use your hands to gently combine, being careful to not over-mix. Form into mini meatballs. This should make approximately 44 meatballs.)
    1 pound lean ground beef, 1 pound ground turkey, 2 large eggs, 2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 cup cold water
  • Refrigerate meatballs until ready to add to soup. (You can also freeze these meatballs ahead of time.)

For the soup:

  • In a large stock pan, sauté the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in olive oil, until the veggies begin to soften. Add chicken broth and beef broth and bring to a boil.
    2 Tablespoons olive oil, 4 large carrots, 4 stalks celery, 1 large onion, 3 whole garlic cloves, 6 cups chicken broth, 6 cups beef broth
  • Add meatballs, bay leaves, and the parmesan rind (optional). Reduce heat to a slow boil, and stir gently to keep the meatballs from breaking apart. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    2 bay leaves, 1 parmesan rind, kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • After the meatballs have simmered for about 10 minutes, add the orzo pasta. Simmer until al dente, approximately 15 minutes.
    1 1/2 cups dried orzo pasta
  • Add the spinach during the last five minutes of cooking. Serve with parmesan cheese on top.
    4 cups fresh spinach, Parmesan cheese

Notes

  • These meatballs can be made in advance and frozen until ready to make the soup.
  • You can bake the meatballs in the oven (instead of cooking them in the soup) and add them later in the cooking process.
  • The orzo pasta will continue to plump up as it sits. You may need to add more broth to the leftovers.

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 2080mg | Potassium: 1002mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7653IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 4mg