Soups & stews / Chicken, noodle & dumpling soups
Italian Wedding Soup with Tiny Meatballs
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Tiny meatballs, a clear chicken broth, and ribbons of egg stirred in at the end. Rolling the meatballs is the slow part, so hand your uncle an apron and call it tradition.
The short version
Mix beef, pork, Parmesan and a milk-soaked breadcrumb panade, roll into small meatballs and roast at 425°F for 12 minutes. Simmer vegetables in broth with a Parmesan rind, cook the pasta and greens, drop in the meatballs, then stir in an egg-and-cheese mixture for ribbons. About an hour.
What makes ours better
small changes, very loud compliments
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Roast the meatballs before they go in the soup. Raw meatballs poached in broth cloud it with gray foam. Roasting browns them, adds flavor, and keeps the broth clear. Make them a day ahead if you like.
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Soak the breadcrumbs in milk. A milk-soaked panade keeps tiny meatballs tender instead of rubbery, which matters when each one is a single bite.
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Simmer a Parmesan rind in the broth. The rind gives a savory backbone to store-bought broth for free. Save rinds in the freezer for exactly this.
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Stir the egg in last, off a gentle simmer. Eggs whisked with Parmesan cook into soft threads that thicken the broth slightly and make it taste richer than it is.
What you need
check the pantry before you promise anyone
- Fresh breadcrumbs or panko⅓ cup
- Whole milk¼ cup
- Ground pork8 ounces
- Finely grated Parmesan½ cup
- Egg1 large
- Carrots2 medium
- Celery2 rib
- Acini di pepe or other tiny pasta⅔ cup
Meatballs
Soup
tap each one as it goes in. no double-salting.
Steps
apron on. phone down. mostly.
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Make the panade
Heat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, stir the breadcrumbs and milk together and let them sit for 5 minutes, until the crumbs have soaked up the milk and look like paste.
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Mix the meatballs
Add the pork, beef, Parmesan, egg, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper to the panade. Mix with your hands just until combined; the mixture should be sticky and a little loose.
Stop as soon as it comes together. Overworked meat makes dense meatballs.
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Roll and roast
With wet hands, roll the mixture into balls about the size of a large marble (a heaping teaspoon each), about 60 in all. Set them on the baking sheet close together but not touching. Roast for 10 to 14 minutes, until browned in spots and cooked through (160°F in the center).
Wet your hands again whenever the mixture starts sticking to them.
About 12 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Soften the vegetables
While the meatballs roast, warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt for 6 to 8 minutes, until soft but not browned. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute.
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Simmer the broth
Pour in the broth, add the Parmesan rind if you have one, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover partway, and cook for 10 minutes so the rind softens and the broth takes on flavor.
About 10 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Add pasta, greens and meatballs
Stir in the pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Add the escarole and the meatballs and simmer 4 to 5 minutes more, until the pasta is just tender and the escarole is wilted. If you're using spinach, add it in the last minute. Fish out the rind.
Taste the broth now and salt it. Low-sodium broth needs more than you think.
About 9 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Stir in the egg ribbons
Whisk the eggs, the ¼ cup Parmesan and the nutmeg in a small bowl. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer, stir it in slow circles with a fork, and pour in the egg in a thin stream. Cook 30 seconds, until you see soft threads. Serve right away with extra Parmesan.
A rolling boil breaks the egg into crumbs. Turn the heat down first.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- Make the meatballs up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate them, or freeze them raw or cooked for 3 months. Frozen cooked meatballs can go straight into the simmering soup.
- Escarole holds its texture best, and kale or Swiss chard work too (simmer them 5 minutes longer). Spinach is the softest and quickest.
- Tiny pasta keeps soaking up broth. If you want leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl.
- Storage. Refrigerate up to 4 days; the pasta will swell, so add a splash of broth when reheating. Freeze the soup without pasta or egg for up to 3 months.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
Why is it called Italian wedding soup?
The Italian name, minestra maritata, means "married soup" and refers to how well the greens and meat go together, not to a wedding. The name stuck in English.
Can I skip roasting the meatballs and drop them in raw?
You can, and they'll be fine, but the broth turns cloudy and you'll skim foam. Roasting gives you browned flavor and a clear broth for about 12 minutes of unattended oven time.
How do I get egg ribbons instead of scrambled egg?
Keep the soup at a gentle simmer, stir it while you pour, and pour the egg in a thin stream. A hard boil or a thick pour makes clumps.
Can I use turkey or chicken instead of beef and pork?
Yes, but use dark meat or the meatballs dry out. The milk-soaked panade helps either way.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Make the soup through the meatball step, cool it, and refrigerate. Reheat to a simmer, then add the pasta fresh and finish with the egg.
What can I use if I can't find escarole?
Baby spinach, kale or chard. Spinach goes in last; kale and chard go in with the pasta.
From the table
Made it? Tell me everything. Especially if somebody said it was better than their mother’s. I’ll keep your secret.
Made it?
tell me the truth, then tell me who had thirds
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Published October 29, 2026.