There are many versions of this soup, and for me, this has been adapted so many times remains our favorite rich and bursting with Italian flavors.
The soup has a chicken base loaded with escarole and traditionally with acini di pepe pastina but today we added Homemade Tortellini which makes an incredible addicting broth.
Soup is a meal that anything can go in the pot so don't be afraid to adapt on the flavors you love by adding more or less of what your family enjoys.
If escarole is hard to find use another green like kale, swiss chard or even some curly savoy cabbage will do.
If you're looking for a soup to warm your soul and take the chill out, this is the one you'll ever need to make.
We love all kinds of soups and I even have a collection of Best Soup Recipes you may enjoy and if you love beans, try my comforting 20 Bean Roundup of Recipes.
This wedding soup can be made with any small pasta you have on hand even broken up spaghetti you'll see a few styles below in photos of wedding soup additions.
Also don't miss my other soups we love recipes in this post below, like lasagna soup, stuffed pepper and so much more!
Scroll down to get our printables family recipe.
Comforting Italian Soup
Even though I make this soup all year round, I do a few things to help be a soup starter to make it even easier.
During the week if I make chicken legs or thighs baked in the oven, I boil the chicken first and freeze the broth, perfect for this recipe with just broth and no meat.
There are a few other vegetables I add in the summer that we love like cubed zucchini so get creative and make this soup your own recipe, remember soup is a pot of anything you like goes into the pot.
Ingredients You Will Need (for exact measurements keep scrolling the to the recipe card)
- for the meatballs
- ground beef
- grated cheese
- breadcrumbs
- garlic
- for the broth
- chicken any parts
- celery
- carrots
- garlic
- fresh parsley
- water
- any kind of pasta
Cooking Methods
- Stovetop simmered for at least 2 hours
- Instant Pot using the pressure cooker mode to instruction book (around 45 minutes)
- Slow cooker/crockpot on low 6 to 8 hours using only boneless chicken
Optional Ingredient Suggestions and Tips
- any kinds of greens
- white beans
- cubed zucchini
- use all fresh herbs not dried
- for vegetarian omit meatballs and use vegetable broth
- corn
- peas
- mixed vegetables
Tools
- 5 to 8 quart soup pot
- slow cooker/instant pot
- melon ball scoop for meatballs for uniform size
- knife for cutting vegetables
- cutting board
- bowl
- measuring spoons
Italian Wedding Soup Pin for later
Other Favorite Soup Recipes
Ham Cabbage and Potato Soup
Italian Stuffed Pepper Soup
Lasagna Soup
Homemade Tortellini Pasta
Easy Recipe
If you have never tried to make homemade soup, you're missing out on an easy really economical meal.
This version is a bit more gourmet but so simple you're going to get so many compliments to make this again and again, it's truly the best of the best wedding soup recipes.
One more tip, always season and taste as you go, I do not use as much salt and not a big fan of salty soups, so remember it's to your individual taste.
The grated cheese as a garnish will also enhance the flavors of this soup, serve this soup with great confidence and enjoy a comforting bowl of soup!
Yield: 8

Italian Wedding Style Tortellini Soup
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 15 M
This is an updated version of wedding soup made with escarole or spinach leaves, meatballs in a rich broth and pasta added to this classic soup.
Ingredients
- Meatballs:
- 1 - 1/2 cups of ground round, turkey or a mixture of pork and ground beef
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic or 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped Italian parsley
- 4 tablespoons Italian flavored bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- mix together set aside.
- Soup Ingredients:
- 1 head of escarole cleaned and boiled for 30 minutes separately in saltwater drained and squeeze out the liquid or use a 10-ounce package or fresh or frozen spinach
- 6 chicken thighs, legs (or 2 boneless breasts cubed)
- 5 quarts of water (or chicken broth)
- 1 cup carrots
- 1/4 cup celery chopped or fresh fennel
- 1 large 16 oz can of whole tomatoes chopped or use 6 fresh diced plum tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano, garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley
- salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper added to taste
- Garnish:
- grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ServingSuggestion:
- Italian Garlic Bread or any hard-crusted bread
- Note:
- Use any kind of pastine, or pasta you prefer or make our Tortellini Recipe
- Boil pasta of choice to package instructions
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, add the kind of chicken you prefer and boil in water removing any scum at the top.
- Remove the chicken if it's on the bone, cool, take off the bone, and place back in the pot.
- Put on low to simmer adding the tomatoes, seasonings, carrots (along with any other vegetables you want like onions chopped) along with escarole or spinach, celery.
- As this boils, drop quarter-sized meatballs into the hot soup and continue to boil they will float to the top.
- Continue cooking the soup for around 1 more hour.
- Boil the pasta of choice(tortellini, gnocchi, acini de pepe pastine, orzo, noodles, etc. of choice) to package instructions.
- Add to cooked soup, ladle into bowls and garnish with grated cheese.
- This soup can be made in a slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours on low, top of the stove for 2 hours on low simmer or instant pot pressure cooker mode for 45 minutes or to your instructions manual.
Calories
471.19Fat (grams)
23.75Sat. Fat (grams)
7.95Carbs (grams)
20.81Fiber (grams)
4.61Net carbs
16.20Sugar (grams)
3.58Protein (grams)
45.03Sodium (milligrams)
2572.94Cholesterol (grams)
203.71Italian Wedding Style Tortellini Soup Pin for Later
Try Some More Of Our Favorite Recipes
Grandma's Home Chicken Soup
Italian Minestrone
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2009. It was edited and re-published in 2020.
This looks really good and healthy. Can't wait to try this recipe.
ReplyDeleteThis looks great and healthy with all the fresh ingredients. I can't wait to try this recipe.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite kinds of soup - hearty and comforting. Looks great!
ReplyDeleteI love the recipe's that you have shared with us, thank you! I have shared your site with several friends also, good luck!I work with Theresa, we met a tPam's wedding shower.
ReplyDeleteDeana Lafferty
Thank you all for the wonderful comments, the soup is as good as it looks, had it for dinner, it never lets me down, always satisfied with the results....please let me know how you like it.
ReplyDeleteLet the record show I am on the site and drooling over tortellini soup!
ReplyDeleteAre these your recipes or do you find them?
ReplyDeleteThe soup is all mine and most desserts, most others are remastered, my Moms, Grandma Ferraro Colenzo and Aunt Mary. They all showed me how, but revising into recipes was difficult when everything was measured by handfuls....so this is a family heirloom of memories and tributes.
ReplyDeleteMy wife, the Italian, says that tortellini's don't belong in traditional "Italian Wedding Soup". Plus she taught me to make it with escarole and not spinach. but escarole is hard to find in some parts of the country.
ReplyDeleteI say, if it's in the fridge it can go in the soup! :0) Then call it what you like, just make sure you call me for dinner!
Yes, your wife is correct, this is not your traditional wedding soup, this is adapted to what we all like in our home and moderated. We love the added flavor tortellini gives this recipe, and combined them, not calling this Traditional. Also have posted in the past, The Traditional Wedding Soup, using the traditional pastine and meatballs, I am certain all my Italian followers know the difference and would omit if thats what they are looking for is the true Traditional Soup also...thank you for posting.
ReplyDeleteI love italian wedding soup, especially since it makes a lot of left overs when you make it in the crock pot. This soup is very hearty and definitely helps scare away the sniffles.
ReplyDeleteSounds so good and comforting!
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy different versions of wedding soup. There seem to be countless varieties as you described. I've learned thru trial and error, not to add the pastini or other noodles if you are freezing leftover soup. The noodles get mushy once frozen. Thanks for the great recipe
ReplyDelete@brad thanks for that tip on freezing. I have never had the opportunity, with my kids they either eat it for two or three days worth.... but I like that idea to freeze for holidays...thanks :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Claudia! Happy Easter to you!
ReplyDeleteLeticia (from What's Cookin'?)
That tortellini soup looks quite comforting. This looks like something I'd throw together on a rainy day and have while snuggled up in a blanket.
ReplyDeleteThis soup sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt's sooo time for soup. This one looks delicious and comforting!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great classic! I'm ready for some cooler weather here in Texas so I can make your delicious soup.
ReplyDeleteI love Wedding Soup, but have never had it with tortellini - sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteMy husband would absolutely love this!!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so comforting and delicious! Perfect for the cold weather. :)
ReplyDeleteMy family is fond of the authentic Italian wedding soup, but the tortellini version sounds delicious as well!
ReplyDeleteThis is new to me but it looks so yummy. Yes soup is whatever you can put in there and it's always so hard to always be traditional. I love the meatballs!
ReplyDeleteI think all seasons are soup season. This soup is right up my alley!
ReplyDeleteThis soup looks very good, I think it's a great idea for dinner. It look so yummy! I want to try it immediately. Wonderful combination of ingredients.
ReplyDeleteThat is always an interesting soup. I have always heard about the Italian wedding soup but never had it really. The ingredients look very interesting. I think I'd really enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteWow that must been the favorite soup of many. it looks like labour of work. Love hearty healthy soups like this.
ReplyDeleteSoup looks great. Would be perfect for the cold months ahead. Can't wait to try it.
ReplyDeleteWe love our soups -- after all I was raised on lots of soup. And I think every family has their own version of Wedding Soup. Yours looks very hearty and it would be completely satisfying. It would make a great dinner or luncheon dish.
ReplyDeleteI love soup, it's one of my favorite things about the fall season. Hubby enjoys Italian wedding soup and I'm sure he'd enjoy trying yours.
ReplyDeleteThis soup makes a wonderful meal with some garlic bread :-) Perfect for the windy rainy Fall weather we have over here.
ReplyDeleteLove this soup but have never made it! Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDelete