Skip to main content

Italian Wedding Soup

Winter soup season is upon us and one of my favorite soups is this version of Italian Wedding Soup, made with cheese tortellini and frozen Italian meatballs.  It can be made with absolutely minimal effort by choosing prepared ingredients from the grocery store.  

Assemble the ingredients, and in approximately 40 minutes you will have a hearty, delicious soup.   This is the number one requested soup in my family, so I am confident your family will love it as well.

A Quick, Hearty Soup Made with Tortellini and Meatballs


Tortellini and meatball soup inspired by Italian Wedding soup.

When I'm in a hurry to make this soup I make it completely with store-bought prepared ingredients including frozen meatballs. It is quick and delicious. You'll love how easy this soup is to make.

Tips for Success

For a quick soup use store-bought, frozen meatballs and store-bought chicken broth. When I have a little extra time I'll make my own chicken stock for a deeper, richer chicken flavor. Occasionally,  I'll make my own chicken meatballs, as well.  I'm including the recipe for my chicken meatballs in the recipe link in case you want ever to make your own meatballs.

For additional versatility, substitute other forms of pasta in the soup.  I like to use either orzo or tubetini when I'm changing it up.  

Escarole is a nice substitution for spinach.  Be sure to chop the escarole before adding it to the broth and know that it will take longer than the spinach to cook. 

Be sure to taste as you go. One thing you'll want to be careful about is the amount of salt you use.  The amount of sodium in your chicken broth will determine how much salt you need to add.  The only way to tell how much salt you need is to taste the soup.  A tablespoon of salt usually works for me, but you may need more or less.

Your choice of chicken broth is important. Take the time to find a good store brand or make your own. 

The pasta will absorb your broth. Cook the pasta separately from your soup and add it to your soup bowl just before serving to keep your pasta from absorbing all the broth.  Cooking the tortellini in the soup works well if you are going to serve the soup right away.  If not, the tortellini will absorb the broth and you may find yourself with less broth than you like.  You can cook the tortellini separately in another pot and then add it to the soup just before serving.

How to Make Tortellini and Meatball Soup Video




More Favorite Soup Recipes

Sausage and Kale Soup









Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

quick soup, winter soup, tortellini soup, meatball soup, Italian Wedding Soup
dinner
Italian
Yield: 8 servings
Author: Donna Urso
Tortellini and Meatball Soup

Tortellini and Meatball Soup

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min
A quick, easy soup inspired by Italian wedding soup, ready in 40 minutes.

Ingredients

For the Soup
For the Chicken Meatballs

Instructions

To Make the Soup
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and tender.
  2. Add the broth, water, and carrots to the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for five minutes. Taste the broth and add salt and pepper to taste. One tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper usually work for me.
  3. Add the meatballs (no need to thaw) to the pot and cook for 18 minutes.
  4. Add the tortellini, parsley and basil. Cook gently for 8 minutes, until the tortellini is tender.
  5. Stir in the spinach and remove the pot from the heat. Cover the pot and let stand until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
  6. Sprinkle with some grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately. Add some crusty bread for dunking.
To Make the Chicken Meatballs
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Combine gently with a fork.
  3. Form into small balls about 1/2 inch in size. Use a small scoop to help form the balls, targeting a total of 40 meatballs.
  4. Place the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.

Notes

The tortellini will absorb the broth as it sits in the soup. You may want to cook the tortellini separately and add it to your bowl and then top it with the soup.

Another option is to add additional chicken broth to the pot when you reheat the soup.

Recommended Products:

Nutrition Facts

Calories

408.55

Fat (grams)

25.52

Sat. Fat (grams)

8.07

Carbs (grams)

26.09

Fiber (grams)

7.58

Net carbs

18.51

Sugar (grams)

6.55

Protein (grams)

23.65

Sodium (milligrams)

870.61

Cholesterol (grams)

62.06

Please use this nutritional information as a guide only.







Before you go...Never miss a Just One Donna post by signing up to receive posts in your email or your favorite RSS feed.  Links are in the sidebar.

  Enjoy!

Comments

More Popular Posts

How to Make a Perfect Bacon and Eggs Breakfast

In my opinion, the best breakfast consists of two perfectly fried eggs, crispy bacon, and toast made with hearty bread. This bacon and eggs recipe delivers. Bacon and eggs or eggs and bacon? No matter, it is definitely the breakfast you want on those lazy mornings when you have time to relax around the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee or two. The Best Bacon and Eggs Breakfast (This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.  When you make a purchase using these links you help support this blog.) How to Cook Bacon and Eggs My technique was learned from my mom, by watching her make our family's breakfast over and over again, year after year.  This is a basted egg recipe which means the eggs are cooked in bacon grease. Cooking eggs in bacon fat is easy and takes just a little practice to perfect. All you really need for a great bacon and eggs breakfast is a good nonstick skillet and a good toaster . If you want to make your own bread fo

Crunchy, Spicy Gingersnap Cookies

Crunchy, spicy, and yummy are all words used to describe a good gingersnap cookie.   While my hands-down, favorite cookie is a gooey chocolate chip cookie I occasionally crave a spicy ginger snaps cookie or  this molasses cookie .  This old-fashioned gingersnap cookie is a winner.  It's easy to make and will be a favorite in your recipe rotation. Traditional Ginger Snaps Cookie Recipe ( This post contains affiliate links.  I will be compensated when you make a purchase with these links.) Gingersnaps Cookies In the U.S., gingersnaps are usually drop cookies with lots of cracks on the surface.  That's exactly how I like them.  Those found in other countries may be thinner and sliced.  The Lebkuchen, a traditional German cookie, and the pepparkakor, from Sweden, are often cut into festive shapes.  My gingersnaps are round. Reasons You'll Love These Gingersnap Cookies These gingersnaps are tasty cookies at any time of the year.   Their spiciness is perfect as a holid

Grandma's Soft and Chewy Date-Filled Cookies

One of the things I can count on as the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons arrive each year is a feeling of nostalgia. The traditional foods we serve at our family's holiday tables can sure bring out all the feels. Now that it is officially cookie season, we should kick it off with an old-fashioned homemade date-filled cookie recipe. This is a soft, tender cookie with dates that is a special, nostalgic, family recipe.   An Old-Fashioned Date Cookies Recipe This old-fashioned, date-filled cookie was my dad's favorite cookie from his childhood. My dad was born in 1932 so this recipe has been around for quite a while. 

How to Doctor Up Store-Bought Potato Salad

Here's a potato salad time-saver for you just in time for summer cookouts. You'll love how you can transform grocery store potato salad so easily no matter whether you are hosting a BBQ or bringing a side dish for a summer barbecue. There's no judgment here. We don't always have the time to make a potato salad from scratch. Sometimes it is just easier to stop by your local grocery store to pick up a container of store-made potato salad. It's good. It's predictable.  It will do.  All it needs is a little doctoring. How to Make Store-Bought Potato Salad Better When you need a quick potato salad, and have no time to make one from scratch, that ordinary store-bought potato salad you have in your refrigerator can go from blah to amazing in just a few minutes with just a few ingredients. Yes, you can improve store-bought potato salad. How to Doctor Up Potato Salad to have a little more flavor? You're going to a potluck picnic or you are having

The Best Asian Dipping Sauce You'll Ever Taste

If you're looking for a versatile, easy-to-make Asian dipping sauce perfect for sushi and dumplings, then you've come to the right place. This recipe for the best Asian dipping sauce is perfect for any time you want a  kick of delicious Asian flavor. An Asian Dipping Sauce for Sushi and Dumplings Try this if you are looking for a dipping sauce that is a little more flavorful than you typically get with your takeout order. You'll love it with dumplings, too!

Traditional New England Whoopie Pies

Are you looking for the best whoopie pie recipe?  Whoopie pies are a quintessential New England dessert and a memorable treat from my childhood.   My mom would make them for us every once in a while.  Oh, what a treat to come home from school to a platter of chocolate whoopie pies!  Yum! Today I'm sharing my recipe for the best-ever whoopie pies. The Best Whoopie Pies Recipe without Marshmallow Fluff Whoopie Pies Whoopie pies are soft round cookie-like cakes with a smooth cream filling sandwiched in the center. Debate rages about the whoopie pie's origin.  Some say these goodies originated in New England, others say they originated with the Amish.   There is also debate about what ingredients should be in the filling.  Many recipes include fillings made with Marshmallow Fluff or buttercream but neither is  traditional, in my opinion.  The whoopie pie of my childhood is a traditional Maine whoopie pie recipe, made with a cooked flour and milk mixture added to suga

How to Trap and Get Rid of Fruit Flies

Fruit flies can be a huge annoyance at certain times of the year. What can you do to kill fruit flies? We've all been there wondering how to get rid of fruit flies.  Fruit flies in the kitchen.  Fruit flies in the bathroom.  Fruit flies buzzing around everywhere in your home.   It's a frustrating problem that happens to everyone at one time or another.  If you are a fresh fruit and produce lover you certainly know what I mean. How to Kill Fruit Flies with Two Ingredients Those pesky little buggers can often be brought into your home on the vegetables and fruit you buy. You don't have to tolerate the annoyance.  This homemade fruit fly trap is one I have been using for many years and it works every time. 

Easy Chicken Parmesan-A Make Ahead Freezer Dinner

Chicken Parmesan is a favorite dinner in the Just One Donna house because it is a delicious dish that can satisfy your cravings for Italian food. It's also easy to make at home with simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry.  But what if you don't have time to cook on a busy weeknight? Don't worry, you can make Chicken Parmesan ahead of time and freeze it for later. I like to prepare Chicken Parmesan to have on hand in my freezer for those busy weeknights when we might be tempted to head to a restaurant instead of eating at home.  How to Make Freezer Chicken Parmesan for Busy Nights This post contains affiliate links.  I receive a small compensation when you shop using these links Easy Freezer Chicken Parmesan for Dinner Chicken Parmesan, also known as Chicken Pa

Can You Make Better Bacon in Water?

What is the best way to cook crisp, tender bacon? Today, let's investigate a new method for cooking bacon on the stove that I'm seeing suggested as a technique that will change your life.  It's frying your bacon in a pan with a small amount of water.  Is cooking bacon with a bit of water in the pan a better way to make bacon? How to Cook Bacon in Water This is a simple, relatively fast way to make perfectly cooked bacon every time. Whether you are looking to impress your guests with a decadent breakfast or just want to enjoy a delicious bacon treat, this technique is the perfect solution.

Forgotten Pork Chops-A Skillet Dinner

When I first made this pork chop skillet dinner several years ago I knew it was a winner but never predicted how wildly successful it would be with my readers. Perhaps it is the comfort food combination of pork chops with savory rice.  Or maybe it is the easy one-pan preparation.  Whatever it is, you're sure to love this updated, one-pan, comforting Forgotten Pork Chops dinner.  Pork Chops and Rice with Cream of Mushroom Soup (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  When you purchase through these links I receive a small compensation.)  So you might wonder why I updated the recipe. Like most recipes that are part of my menu rotation, a tweak here or there is customary. I encourage you to do the same.  A tweak here to there will make the recipe your own.