Enjoy a delicious bowl of homemade Italian wedding soup! This recipe is lower-sodium and uses ground chicken for a lighter take on this classic comfort food.
When it comes to a big bowl of comfort, Italian wedding soup has to be one of my favorite options. How can you not love hearty meatballs in a savory broth with tender orzo?
Unfortunately, the version you find in most restaurants is not so great for you. It’s full of salt, plus the meatballs are made from ground beef and ground pork. They’re delicious, but also pretty greasy and high in fat.
That’s why you have to try this homemade version of the classic Italian soup instead! With a few healthy twists, it’s just as delicious, but you can feel much better about eating it.
Using ground chicken and Italian turkey sausage lightens up the meatballs, and you’ll bake them in the oven instead of pan-frying them. Easier AND healthier! And you have much more control over the salt.
The next time you’re in the mood for a big bowl of comfort, give this recipe a try.
How to make Italian wedding soup
To make this soup, we’ll simply prep and bake the meatballs, then bring together all the ingredients in one pot on the stove!
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, turkey sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, cheese, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a ½ teaspoon of pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly.
Step 3: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Scoop a tablespoon of the meat mixture at a time, roll it into a ball, and place it on the sheet pan. Repeat until you’ve used all of the meat.
Step 4: Place the meatballs in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until cooked all the way through and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Step 5: In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Step 6: Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 7: Add the stock and wine, then bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 8: Add the orzo and cook according to the instructions until the pasta is tender.
Step 9: Add the dill and the meatballs to the pot, then simmer for about a minute.
Step 10: Add the spinach and cook for about a minute until it wilts.
Your delicious homemade soup is ready to enjoy! I like to serve mine with extra cheese.
Other ways to make this recipe
To lighten up the meatballs, I used a pound of ground chicken and a couple of hot Italian turkey sausage links. But if you want more sausage and less ground chicken in yours, feel free to adjust the ratios! You’ll want about 1¼ pounds of meat total.
If you don’t have whole wheat orzo, any small pasta or brown rice will do. You could also make this soup with short-grain brown rice. Just be sure to cook the pasta or rice for the amount of time indicated on the package before you add the dill and meatballs.
The one ingredient you must not substitute or leave out is the fresh dill! It adds so much flavor to this soup. I consider it a mandatory ingredient.
Reducing the sodium
Although it’s much better than what you’d find in a restaurant, this soup is still a bit high in sodium.
If you are keeping an eye on your salt intake, try looking for low-sodium sausage or making your own! You can also skip the salt in the meatballs, cut back on the amount of cheese you use, and make your own chicken stock.
Storage
This recipe is for 8 servings of soup. If you’re lucky, that will leave you with some leftovers!
Any extra can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Other healthy comfort food recipes
Looking for a big plate or bowl of delicious food that will warm you up? Thankfully, there are plenty of healthy ways to indulge in comfort food! Here are a few of my favorite recipes I think you’ll enjoy:
- Turkey Sausage Casserole with Veggie Tots
- White Bean Lentil Soup (Instant Pot)
- White Chicken Lasagna with Spaghetti Squash
When you’ve tried this soup, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
MEATBALLS
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 links Italian turkey sausage (hot or sweet, casings removed)
- ⅔ cup bread crumbs
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (plus more for serving)
- 3 tablespoons nonfat milk
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
SOUP
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup sweet onion (minced)
- 3 carrots (cut into ¼-inch pieces)
- 2 stalks celery (cut into ¼-inch pieces)
- 10 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup whole-wheat orzo (or other small pasta)
- ¼ cup fresh dill (minced)
- 4 ounces baby spinach (rinsed and stems removed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, turkey sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, cheese, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a ½ teaspoon of pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Scoop a tablespoon of the meat mixture at a time, roll it into a ball, and place it on the sheet pan. Repeat until you’ve used all of the meat.
- Place the meatballs in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until cooked all the way through and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the stock and wine, then bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the orzo and cook according to the instructions until the pasta is tender.
- Add the dill and the meatballs to the pot, then simmer for about a minute.
- Add the spinach and cook for about a minute until it wilts.
Do not leave out the Dill! An excellent recipe I keep close by. Have used ground lamb, ground chicken, ground Turkey when making meatballs. Fresh parmesan to top off soup is the way to go! I most often triple the recipe with no problems.