There’s something about the super savory flavors of this Italian Wedding Soup that makes it stand-out among my family members as a cold-weather favorite. It has a rich broth that’s more complex than normal soup because of the combination of both beef and chicken stock, tons of delicious and earthy herbs, and a splash of wine. The meatballs themselves are full of flavor, and keep their tender texture from mixing-in some ground pork and almond flour. And don’t forget the fennel seeds! It brings everything together.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it actually gets much, much better with time. As in, make extra and have it on day two and even day three—you’ll notice that the flavors bloom in complexity. All of my family and friends noticed as well.
For strict paleo or Whole 30, omit parmesan cheese and use white wine vinegar instead of white wine.
I hope you love this Italian Wedding Soup as much as we do! I can’t think of a better dinner on a chilly November night. Enjoy!
Light and Healthy Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp fresh sage, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh chives, minced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 lb 85-90% lean ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano or nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 tbsp fennel seed
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Soup:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh sage, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh chives, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or a splash of white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 32 oz beef stock
- 72 oz chicken stock
- 12 oz caulifower rice
- 8-10 cups kale, thinly sliced
- Parmigiano for serving, if desired
Instructions
For the Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 400º F and line a baking sheet with tin foil. Spray with olive oil.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs. Using clean hands, mix the ingredients thoroughly until everything is well incorporated. Then, roll the mixture into 1-inch thick meatballs and place them on the baking sheet. You can make these smaller or larger, but I find that a small-to-medium sized meatball is best in the soup.
- Bake meatballs for 15 minutes or until they’re getting golden-brown on the outside. Once done, they can rest on the counter until your soup is ready for them.
For the Soup:
- While meatballs are baking, prepare the soup. In a large dutch oven over medium heat, drizzle the olive oil. Once the oil shines, it’s hot. Add all of the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Saute for 5-8 minutes or until the vegetables are getting golden. Then, add garlic and fresh herbs and saute for 2 minutes more. Do not let the garlic burn! But you do want there to be a little bit of browning on the bottom of the pan. That is called fond, and it will give your batch of soup incredible flavor.
- Now that the vegetables are browned and there is some browning on the pan, de-glaze the pan with the dry white wine or vinegar. Add the wine/vinegar, and using a wooden spoon, scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan as the wine helps you remove them. Let it come to a boil for just a minute while you do this. Add your salt and pepper. Then add all of the beef and chicken stock.
- Let this mixture come to a simmer, and then add the meatballs and the caulifower rice.
- Add the thinly sliced kale. The recipe calls for 8-10 cups because I love it when my soup is full of greens, but feel free to adjust this amount.
- Let this soup simmer for at least 30 minutes, but it certainly can simmer for longer. I’ve let it simmer all afternoon at times and it’s so delicious by dinner. The flavors meld over time and develop further.
- When ready to serve, top each bowl with a sprinkle of good Parmigiano Reggiano or more fresh herbs. Enjoy!