Spicy Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

Italian wedding soup is the perfect recipe to warm your soul on a cold fall or winter day. The classic Italian soup has been around for ages, and though the name suggests otherwise, it's not necessarily meant to serve at weddings (though, you could serve it at one!). Instead, you could look at the blend of vegetables, meat, and orzo as a sort of "marriage," or at the very least a pretty flavorful union. Whether you want a bowl as a main course or a cup as a side, this dish is plenty filling. 

Recipe developer Christina Musgrave came up with her own spin on the classic recipe, opting to kick up the heat with a little bit of spicy Italian sausage. "I like how simple and easy this Italian Wedding Soup recipe is," Musgrave shares. "Everything is simplified and straightforward and it tastes amazing! I like this for a weeknight dinner or serving as an appetizer or side dish." 

To get started, you must make a list and head to the store. Pick up olive oil, carrots, celery, onion, salt, black pepper, sausage links, orzo or small pasta, chicken stock or broth, spinach, and fresh basil or thyme for serving.

Let's get right to it. Grab your trusty Dutch oven and place it on your stove. Turn the heat to medium and drizzle in the olive oil. Next, you can add the carrots, celery, onion, salt, and black pepper. Cook everything together for about 5 minutes and let the veggies soften.

While the veggies are cooking, take out the Italian sausage links. Roll them into small meatballs and then toss them in the pot with the veggies. At this point, you can also add 1 cup of pasta and 4 cups of chicken stock or broth. Stir well to combine everything together.

Place the lid back on the Dutch oven and reduce the heat to a simmer. Set your timer for 10 to 15 minutes, so the meatballs and pasta thoroughly cook. "The special ingredient is the spicy Italian sausage that you make the meatballs with," Musgrave notes. "The spicy sausage adds a kick to the whole soup recipe." 

Once the meatballs and pasta are cooked, remove the Dutch oven from heat. Add 2 cups of spinach and stir well. The heat from the soup should wilt the spinach in no time. 

Transfer the soup into a bowl or cup and top with fresh herbs to complete this dish. Thanks to the meatballs and veggies, this soup is pretty filling on its own, but Musgrave provides a few additional serving suggestions if you wish. "This soup is great as a side dish or as a main dish," Musgrave says. "It's delicious with an Italian side salad and some fresh bread." 

Anything left? Don't sweat it! "Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days. You can freeze as well!" Musgrave shares.