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Home » Recipes » Cozy Soups and Stews

Easy Italian Wedding Soup with Frozen Meatballs

Published: Jan 21, 2023 · Modified: Jan 12, 2024 by Sarah Baumeister · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

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This yummy soup is the perfect dish to have any time of the year. Easy Italian Wedding Soup with Frozen Meatballs is light with a clear broth and veggies, but warm and comforting to from frozen mini meatballs and lots of little pasta.

bowl of italian wedding soup with spinach and a spoon on the side.

Italian wedding soup is a classic soup with a rich chicken broth, tender meatballs, tiny acini de pepe pasta, and fresh spinach. This (semi) homemade version is made easier by using frozen mini meatballs! 

Italian wedding soup reminds me of italian chicken pastina with egg and greek lemon rice soup (kotosoupa avgolemono), and Piselli, but with more veggies and a thinner broth. Those are two of my favorite soups as well, definitely check them out along with Bone Broth Chicken Soup.

For a soup filled with even more veggies, try Italian Vegetable Soup (Minestrone) or Lentil Soup with Spinach.

bowl of italian wedding soup.

I love putting mini meatballs in soup. Frozen meatballs are super easy and cook up very quickly. Each meatball is a burst of delicious flavor that is packed with protein and seasonings. By simmering them in broth, the meatballs become ultimate pockets of flavor and they are so tender you don't have realize they aren't homemade meatballs!

I found these Simek's Mini Beef Meatballs in the freezer section of my grocery store and they are perfect! Pretty decent ingredients and a delicious flavor. Perfectly sized too!

Spinach in Soup

bowl of italian wedding soup with spoons on the side.

The spinach adds a delicateness to the soup while still adding fiber and nutrients! I love adding greens to soups, because to me it just seems like a given! The greens wilt down and add color, which is a reason in itself to add them to dishes. And as much as I love salads, it’s nice to get your veggies in other ways as well! 

Spinach is my favorite to add to soups because of just how tender it gets. It is so silky and basically melts in your mouth. After you try this soup, try spinach in minestrone or Instant Pot Tortellini Soup.

If you want to try a heartier green (like kale) try this tuscan white bean and sausage soup!

Italian Wedding Soup Ingredients

ingredients for italian wedding soup with frozen meatballs.
  • olive oil
  • carrots
  • onion 
  • celery
  • garlic
  • chicken stock
  • acini de pepe or any small pasta
  • fresh spinach
  • frozen mini meatballs
  • salt

How To Make Italian Wedding Soup with Frozen Meatballs

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, garlic, and onions and saute until softened, about 4-5 minutes. 

mirepoix in a dutch oven.
frozen mini meatballs added to soup pot.
meatballs simmering in broth.

Add frozen meatballs and stir.

Add chicken stock and salt and bring to a simmer.

After 15 minutes, add pasta and cook for about 10 more minutes, until the pasta plumps and is cooked through.

frozen mini meatballs in broth.
fresh spinach added to pot of soup.

Once ready to serve, turn off heat and stir in spinach.

dutch oven pot full of italian wedding soup with veggies.

Recipe Tip

I almost never cook greens on a high heat. Instead, I add them at the very end of the cooking process, after the stove is turned off and let the residual heat of whatever dish I made do the work for me. This way the spinach doesn’t get overcooked! 

Substitutions and Variations

  • If you can't find acini de pepe, other tiny pasta will do, such as ditalini or pastina (stelline).
  • Regular sized meatballs can be used in place of the mini if you need/prefer.
  • If using a different green, like kale, simmer for a few minutes to soften. Spinach is very tender but kale, chard, etc. are studier and benefit from being cooked into the broth.
over shot of bowl of soup.

Reheating Italian Wedding Soup

This soup reheats beautifully and makes great leftovers for snacks or lunches! The noodles will continue to soak up the broth as it sits, so I like to add a splash of water or chicken stock before reheating to add more broth back to the soup.

This italian wedding soup recipe freezes well and can be frozen in whole batches or individual portions and kept for months that way. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. 

angled view of bowl of soup.

More soup recipes to try

  • Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup
  • Instant Pot French Onion Soup (Ninja Foodi)
up close bowl of italian wedding soup.

easy italian wedding soup with frozen meatballs

Sarah Baumeister
A classic soup, easy italian wedding soup with frozen meatballs, uses simple ingredients and easy cooking method.
4.93 from 13 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Soups and stews
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 244 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 carrots peeled and small diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 3 celery stalks small diced
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup dry acini de pepe or any small pasta
  • 2 cups packed fresh spinach roughly chopped
  • 1 14 oz. package frozen mini meatballs
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, garlic, and onions and saute until softened, about 4-5 minutes. 
  • Add frozen meatballs and stir.
  • Add chicken stock and salt and bring to a simmer.
  • After 15 minutes, add pasta and cook for about 10 more minutes, until the pasta plumps and is cooked through.
  • Once ready to serve, turn off heat and stir in spinach.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 244kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 13gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 719mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!


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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. TRINITY

    September 21, 2019 at 12:13 am

    5 stars
    This sounds very yummy and simple to make! Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Terry L Wilders

    July 08, 2023 at 7:33 pm

    5 stars
    I just made it today for my lunch and it tastes yummy I'm going to keep it with my recipes and do it again thanks for the recipe

    Reply
    • Sarah

      July 15, 2023 at 7:30 pm

      I am so glad you enjoyed this soup! Thank you for your kind words. 🙂
      -Sarah

      Reply
  3. Brent A Verleger

    August 13, 2024 at 11:02 pm

    Great recipe. I only added about 6 dashes of Tabasco and the juice of 1 lemon. Then I used Aldi Italian Frozen Meatballs and browned them and cut in half before adding. Cracked Pepper, Salt, and Italian Seasoning. Delicious with so toasted garlic bread!

    Reply
  4. Janet

    March 28, 2025 at 4:03 pm

    5 stars
    Occasionally Aldi’s has Bremer mini mealballs, about 132 meatballs fully cooked, 32 oz. and 1/2 bag is perfect for a single batch of this delicious soup recipe. The only change I make is 3/4 cup or less acini so it doesn’t get too thick in storage. Thank you! Janet

    Reply
    • Sarah Baumeister

      March 30, 2025 at 2:00 am

      Awesome, Janet! Thank you for sharing about the mini meatballs and your tips. Glad you enjoy. -Sarah

      Reply
4.93 from 13 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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Hi, I'm Sarah!

I am a wife, mother, and believer. I have been cooking since I can remember and love sharing recipes with all of you. You will find a variety of recipes here from healthy family dinners, to ways to prepare venison, to soups, to baked goods, anything and everything delicious.

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