Warm up with this cozy Italian wedding soup recipe featuring escarole greens, tender white beans, and oven-baked tiny chicken meatballs simmered to perfection in a flavorful broth — it’s a homemade comfort food classic.
I grew up eating escarole and beans, a hearty Italian dish made with white beans and leafy escarole greens with crusty bread for dunking. If you add Acini di Pepe (little pearl-shaped pasta) and tiny chicken meatballs, you get my take on Italian wedding soup.
I don’t know the exact origins of Italian wedding soup, nor have I see it at weddings to be honest. But it’s an excellent recipe to make when escarole is in season, usually in the spring or fall when the weather is cool and crisp. Escarole is part of the chicory family; the taste is slightly bitter.
This cozy soup makes about 3 quarts, enough to enjoy now and to freeze for later. I recommend serving it with my famous sourdough bread or my homemade sourdough croutons for toasty bread goodness in every bite. And as always, add cheese please. Tons of Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and a drizzle of good, peppery olive oil to finish.
Why This Recipe Works:
- The chicken meatballs are baked (not fried). They can be made in advance; up to 3 days in the fridge/ 6 months in the freezer.
- Use a teaspoon-sized cookie scoop for quick and easy meatball portioning.
- Canned or dried (and soaked) white beans can be used. I like Cannellini beans.
How To Make It {Step-By-Step Recipe}
For timing, this soup is broken down into 3 simultaneous steps: making the meatballs, simmering the soup, and cooking the pasta. Everything happens at once. For example: the meatballs bake while you start the soup, and the pasta cooks separately while the soup simmers. I’ve included prompts in the instructions below.
- For the meatballs: Add the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, rosemary and egg into a bowl; mix well to combine. Portion the mixture into tiny meatballs using a teaspoon-sized cookie scoop or by hand. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet(s). Bake @ 400 F for 10 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes for a little color (optional). Set aside. Start the soup.
- For the soup: Sauté chopped onions, smashed garlic cloves and rosemary in olive oil for 7-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the beans. Pour in the stock. Stir in the fresh bay leaves.
- Bring the soup to a gentle boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Note: at this time, bring a small pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
- Add the escarole to the soup in batches, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Once the greens are wilted, add some the meatballs (you won’t need all of them). I do this by eye. Continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes while you make the pasta. Stir in 1/4 cup ground Parmesan cheese towards the end of cooking.
- For the pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside; do not add to the soup.
- Optional step: Right before serving, puree 1/2 cup of the beans only (and a splash of broth) with a stick blender to slightly thicken the soup. Skipping this step is fine too. The pasta and meatballs will soak up some of the broth, thickening the texture as well.
- To Serve: Portion the soup into bowls adding spoonfuls of the reserved pasta. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and serve with sourdough bread on the side.
*Note: Scroll to the bottom of this post for a detailed, printable version of this recipe.
Emilie’s Notes & Tips:
- Chicken Stock: Choose a light-colored chicken stock or broth for this recipe (some stocks are really dark and strong flavored). I use Trader Joe’s organic chicken bone broth which comes in a black pouch, not a box, and is found in the refrigerator section. It’s light in color, has great ingredients, and the taste is subtle and does not overpower. You can also use vegetable stock.
- Bay leaves: Use fresh bay leaves, if you can find them. They are sold in the refrigerator section where the rest of the herbs are. The flavor is light and slightly lemony. It’s very different than dried bay leaves.
- Vegetable Chopper: If you cry your eyes out like me when you cut onions, use this chopper to get it done fast.
More Italian Soup Recipes To Try:
This recipe is part of 6-part mini series featuring warm and cozy Italian soups, perfect to serve with homemade sourdough bread. Click on the links below to gain access to the next recipes in the series.
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Homemade Italian Wedding Soup With Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 6–8/ 3 quarts 1x
- Category: Italian Soups
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Warm up with this cozy Italian wedding soup recipe featuring escarole greens, tender white beans, and oven-baked tiny chicken meatballs simmered to perfection in a flavorful broth — it’s a homemade comfort food classic. The meatballs can be made ahead of time; up to 3 days in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer.
For timing, this soup is broken down into 3 simultaneous steps: making the meatballs, simmering the soup, and cooking the pasta. Everything happens at once. For example: the meatballs bake while you start the soup, and the pasta cooks while the soup simmers. I’ve included prompts in the recipe instructions below.
Notes & Tips:
- Chicken Stock: Choose a light-colored chicken stock or broth for this recipe (some stocks are really dark and strong flavored). I use Trader Joe’s organic chicken bone broth which comes in a black pouch, not a box, and is found in the refrigerator section. It’s light in color, has great ingredients, and the subtle taste does not overpower. You can also use vegetable stock.
- Bay leaves: Use fresh bay leaves, if you can find them. They are sold in the refrigerator section where the rest of the herbs are. The flavor is light and slightly lemony. It’s totally different than dried bay leaves.
- Vegetable Chopper: If you cry your eyes out like me when chopping onions, use this chopper.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup ground Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
For the soup:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 rosemary sprig
- (2x) 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 cups light-colored chicken stock
- 2 fresh bay leaves (or 1 dried bay leaf)
- 3/4 lb. escarole, chopped
- 1/3 cup Acini di Pepe pasta
- 1/4 cup ground Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
- Pecorino cheese (optional)
- Sourdough bread, to serve
Instructions
For the meatballs:
- Add the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, rosemary and egg into a bowl; mix well to combine.
- Portion the mixture into tiny meatballs using a teaspoon-sized cookie scoop or by hand. Tip: Lightly wet hands helps with sticking as you work.
- Place the meatballs onto a parchment-lined baking sheet(s). Bake @ 400 F for 10 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes for a little color (optional). Set aside.
For the soup:
- In a large Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat.
- Sauté the chopped onions, smashed garlic cloves and rosemary until light golden in color, about 7-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the beans. Pour in the stock. Stir in the fresh bay leaves.
- Bring the soup to a gentle boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Tip: at this time, bring a small pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
- Add the escarole to the soup in batches, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
- Once the greens are wilted, add some off the meatballs. I usually add about 1 1/2 cups, but I do it by eye. Add as much (or as little) of the meatballs as you like. You will have plenty leftover.
- Continue to cook the soup for an additional 20 minutes, while you make the pasta. The greens should be super tender when finished. Stir in 1/4 cup of ground Parmesan cheese.
- For the pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside; do not add to the soup.
- Optional step: Puree 1/2 cup of the beans only, with a splash of broth using a stick blender to slightly thicken the soup.
- To serve, portion the soup into bowls adding spoonfuls of the reserved pasta. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, and serve with sourdough bread on the side.
Comments
Jenny says
Loved this recipe!
Barney says
Great hearty soup for a cool upstate New York day!
Mike says
Delicious. Just like momma used to make!