Italian Wedding Soup: A Comforting Recipe for Rainy Days

The weather in Milan this past week has been poetically bad — the kind of relentless rain that makes you question life choices, binge-watch Harry Potter, and crave gallons of bowls of soup. But not just any soup will do. As much as I’ve relied on canned soup during those "I can't be bothered to cook" phases, sometimes you need something more — a soup that revives your spirit. And no, I’m not talking about those sappy Chicken Soup for the Soul books I read as an angsty teen. I mean a hearty, veggie-packed, homemade Italian Wedding Soup that’s as easy to make as it is nourishing.

Why You’ll Love This Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

This isn’t your typical Italian Wedding Soup — it’s been upgraded with savory sausage meatballs, perfectly al dente ditaloni rigati, and a broth that gets an extra depth of flavor from a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. Here’s what makes it special:

• Sausage Meatballs: Seared to perfection with a sprig of rosemary for added fragrance, these meatballs are small but packed with flavor.
• Vegetable Magic: A mix of spinach and dinosaur kale adds a vibrant, nutritious touch. The vegetables are softened and caramelized with butter and a splash of wine, making them rich and flavorful.
• Perfect Pasta: Cooking the pasta separately ensures that it stays firm, giving the soup a perfect texture, even when you reheat it later.

How to Make This Delicious Italian Wedding Soup

This soup is easy to make, hearty, and exactly what you need on a rainy day. Here's the basic rundown:

1. Start by searing small, juicy sausage meatballs in a hot pan with a sprig of rosemary.
2. In the same pot, soften your vegetables (carrots, celery, and onions) with a tablespoon of butter. Add a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon and let it cook for about five minutes, allowing the wine to reduce and the veggies to caramelize.
3. Combine everything in a flavorful broth with spinach and dinosaur kale, and let it simmer until all the flavors meld together.
4. Cook your ditaloni rigati pasta in a separate pot and add it to each bowl just before serving.

The result? A comforting, fragrant, and flavorful bowl of Italian Wedding Soup that will warm you up from the inside out.

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Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground sausage meat
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary (for searing)

For the Soup:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup ditaloni rigati pasta, cooked separately
• 3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 cup dinosaur kale, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• A splash of Cabernet Sauvignon (or any high-sugar wine)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions:

Make and Sear the Meatballs:

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground sausage meat, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper.
2. Mix until well combined and form into small, bite-sized meatballs, no bigger than 2 inches in diameter.
3. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in batches, searing them on all sides until golden brown. Add a sprig of rosemary while searing for extra fragrance.
4. Set the seared meatballs aside.

Cook the Soup:

1. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
2. Add the diced onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
3. Add a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon and cook for 5 minutes to let the alcohol reduce and caramelize the vegetables.
4. Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaf, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil.
5. Gently add the seared meatballs to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Cook the ditaloni rigati pasta in a separate pot according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
7. Stir in the chopped spinach and dinosaur kale into the soup. Cook until the greens are wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf.

Serve:

• Add a portion of the separately cooked ditaloni rigati pasta to each bowl and ladle the soup over it.
• Top with grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy with crusty bread.