Healthy Italian Wedding Soup Made Simply Delicious

Italian Wedding Soup or minestra maritata in Italian originated in Naples, Italy. The English translation is married soup, but that does not sound as eloquent as Italian Wedding Soup. The ‘married soup’ actually was originally a combination of leftover meats, leafy veggies, and chicken broth the Italian peasants would conjure up. Americans introduced the meatballs to the soup, and so came the name Meatball Soup or Italian Meatball Soup.

Peasants wasted nothing, and to be honest, why should we? This sometimes leaves us with greasy leftovers being added to our new meal, a double whammy in unhealthy cooking. So if you start with a healthy base food, the new-meal from the leftover food will also be healthy. Makes sense, right? What also makes sense is to understand what fat, sugar, and carbohydrates exist in the original meal.

We all want to eat healthier, but it can be expensive. We all want to eat great tasting food, but sometimes eating healthy misses the mark. We know that healthy eating has its benefits. The trick is healthy eating on a budget with great tasting food that doesn’t take a long time to cook. This recipe for Italian Wedding soup comes together quickly, is inexpensive and delicious. So what’s the secret? 

I use ground beef and ground pork instead of pre-mixed meatloaf mix. This is so I can control the fat content of the ground beef. The natural oil from the ground beef and pork is used in the meatballs. We do not add additional oil. The meatballs are boiled in the chicken broth rather than fried or baked in oil first. Unsalted chicken or beef broth is used ( I make my own).

A dash of Himalayan Pink salt is added to control the salt level. I use Pecorino Romano cheese instead of Parmesan to reduce the salt and make this friendly for people who suffer from lactose intolerance.

Pecorino Romano cheese is made from sheep’s milk, whereas the Parmesean is made from cows’ milk. A sturdy green like fresh spinach is best, but any leafy green will do just fine. Remember to add the greens at the end and cook just until they are wilted. I have even used the last of my Spring Mix as the greens.

Meatball Ingredients

½ pound lean ground beef

½ pound ground pork

1 grated shallot

2 cloves grated garlic

2 chopped carrots

1 ½  tablespoons dried parsley, or ⅓ cup fresh parsley

½ cup fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 large egg

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon Himalayan Pink salt 

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Soup Broth Ingredients

12 cups unsalted chicken broth

1 pound fresh greens roughly chopped

Himalayan Pink salt to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese for topping.

Directions

1. Add all the meatball ingredients into a medium-size bowl and mix until combined.

2. Using a greased small-sized cookie scoop, scoop out the meatballs and roll smooth, and place on a plate.

3. In a 5-quart stockpot, bring 12 cups of unsalted chicken broth to a boil, add the uncooked meatballs, and bring back to a boil.

4. When the meatballs float they are cooked. At that point add the chopped greens.

5. Continue to cook until the greens are wilted.

6. Using a ladle, scoop the soup into serving bowls and top with grated Pecorino Romano cheese.