Serve this delicious recipe for Crock-Pot Italian Wedding Soup with some warm crusty Italian bread and Parmesan cheese for a warm and hearty dinner that your family and guests will love. Miniature meatballs are simmered in a flavorful broth with healthy vegetables and little acini di pepe pasta.
Crock-Pot Italian Wedding Soup
There is this little Italian restaurant that was in my home town where I grew up in sunny Southern California that made an amazing Italian wedding soup. Perfect little meatballs simmered in a flavorful broth with just the right veggie, meatball, broth ratio. It was always one of my favorite soups, and was always the perfect lunch to have on a cool day, which was rare considering the location.
But now I am transplanted to Wyoming where just last week we skipped fall and went right into winter with a blizzard that dumped over two feet of snow on us. And while the snow has mostly melted the weather is definitely crisp and cool and perfect for cozying up to a bowl of soup. The hardest part of this recipe is making the meatballs. Not because they are hard to make, just a little time consuming. My husband is actually the one who made this recipe for dinner. I am one of those rare lucky ladies who’s husbands enjoy cooking and share the meal preparation just about 50/50 with me. I am blessed. And I hope you will be blessed too when you taste this amazing soup!
Ingredients Needed:
- Extra Lean Ground Beef – I find it best to use the leanest ground beef that you can find for this recipe because as the meatballs cook in the slow cooker you do not want them to release too much extra fat into the soup. Also you can use ground turkey instead and the soup will be just as tasty!
- Egg
- Seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs – I used Italian seasoned breadcrumbs to help bind the meat while making the meatballs. If you do not have Italian seasoned bread crumbs available just add an extra 1/2 teaspoon more of the dried oregano and basil to the meatball mixture.
- Fresh Italian Parsley – Fresh parsley (the Italian kind not the curly leaf kind) not only adds a pop of color to the meatballs but also some delicious flavor.
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Basil
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper – You will use 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper in the meatball mixture and 1/2 teaspoon in the soup.
- Parmesan Cheese – Whenever possible I prefer to grate my own Parmesan cheese for the best flavor possible.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth – I prefer to use my homemade chicken broth, however store-bought chicken broth works too. Just be sure to grab the low-sodium variety to prevent your soup from being too salty.
- Yellow Onion – Peeled and diced
- Carrots – Peeled and diced
- Celery – diced
- Bay Leaves
- Garlic – Minced
- Escarole – This is a leafy green that is related to chicory and in my opinion is a requirement for Italian wedding soup. Sometimes it can be a little hard to find at the grocery store (especially if you live in a small town like I do). Ask the produce manager at your local grocery store if they carry it, and if not ask if they can order some for you. If escarole is just impossible to find locally feel free to use chicory, endive, spinach or arugula as those are all pretty good substitutes for escarole.
- Acini di Pepe Pasta – The name means “seeds of pepper” in Italian and that just means that the shape of the pasta is about the size of a pepper seed. Even living in a small-ish town in Wyoming I was able to find acini de pepe pasta at my local grocery stores so I don’t think this ingredient will be too hard to find for most folks. However if you cannot find it you can use other small shaped pasta such as orzo, stars or alphabet pasta (a favorite with little kids!) or any other soup pasta.
Directions:
- In a medium bowl combine ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper & Parmesan cheese until well mixed.
- Form meat mixture into very small meatballs.
- Place meatballs on cookie sheets and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine add the chicken broth, onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, garlic and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper to a 6 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Gently add chilled meatballs to the soup mixture.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 – 7 hours or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add acini di pepe pasta and escarole to the soup and cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on HIGH.
- Serve in bowls topped with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Products Needed:
- 6 Quart Slow Cooker (Or Larger)
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups And Spoons
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Cheese Grater
- Ladle
More Slow Cooker Italian Soups To Try!
- Crock-Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat) + Video
- Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup
- Crock-Pot Lasagna Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Minestrone Soup
- Crock-Pot Easy Pizza Soup
The whole family will ADORE this recipe for Italian Wedding Soup made right in your slow cooker. Delicious meatballs and tender vegetables are simmered in a flavorful broth with Acini di Pepe pasta! Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top and some crusty Italian bread for sopping up the juices!
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The whole family will ADORE this recipe for Italian Wedding Soup made right in your slow cooker. Delicious meatballs and tender vegetables are simmered in a flavorful broth with Acini di Pepe pasta! Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top and some crusty Italian bread for sopping up the juices!
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| Rating |
Rate this recipe!
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| Servings | 8Servings |
| Prep Time | 30Minutes |
| Cook Time | 6 - 7Hours |
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Extra Lean Ground Beef Or Ground Turkey
- 1 Large Egg Slightly Beaten
- 1/4 Cup Seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 3/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper Divided
- 1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 6 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth Store Bought Or Homemade
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion Peeled And Diced
- 4 Medium Carrots Peeled And Diced
- 2 Stalks Celery Diced
- 2 Whole Bay Leaves
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 2 Cups Escarole
- 1/4 Cup Acini di Pepe Pasta
Servings: Servings
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Ingredients
Servings: Servings
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Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper & Parmesan cheese until well mixed.
- Form meat mixture into very small meatballs.
- Place meatballs on cookie sheets and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine add the chicken broth, onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, garlic and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper to a 6 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Gently add chilled meatballs to the soup mixture.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 - 7 hours or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add acini di pepe pasta and escarole to the soup and cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on HIGH.
- Serve in bowls topped with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 273kcal, Total Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 803mg, Potassium: 615mg, Carbohydrates: 22g, Dietary Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 3g, Protein: 23g, Vitamin A: 146%, Vitamin C: 30%, Calcium: 20%, Iron: 24%
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Recipe Collections:
| Italian Crock-Pot Recipes | Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes |
| Ground Beef Slow Cooker Recipes | Beef Crock-Pot Recipes |
| Soup Crock-Pot Recipes | 6 Quart Slow Cooker Recipes |
Are there any replacements for the escarole? I have looked for it in my grocery store a few times for another recipe I had wanted to make and have never been able to find it. Thank you!!
Hi Heather. You can use baby spinach or even kale in place of the escarole.
Great thank you so much!! Can’t wait to make this, it’s my absolute favorite soup!!!