Wedding Soup

This classic Italian soup known as ‘Wedding Soup’ derives from its Italian name: ‘minestra mar-inata,’ meaning “married soup.” Rather than being a dish served at a wedding, it refers to the marriage of contrasting ingredients—the fresh green leafy vegetables and the hearty meat flavour from the meatballs, symbolising the union of the contrasting elements of man and woman.

This really is a meal in a bowl that delivers everything.  Meat, vegetables, tummy filling pasta and a comforting broth. Topped with a final grating of Parmesan cheese and accompanied by crusty bread, it’s a one bowl meal that is guaranteed to satisfy.

The most time-consuming element is making the meatballs. I have halved my usual meatball recipe for this, but I’d recommend you do what I would do and double the batch, saving half the meatballs for another day.  They are a welcome addition to the freezer and a saviour when you don’t have time to cook.

Wedding Soup

A bowl of comforting goodness packed with meaty meatballs, vegetables and tummy filling pasta.

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Servings: 6

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Meatballs

• 125 g veal or beef mince
• 125 g pork mince
• ¾ cup dried breadcrumbs
• 1 small handful fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ½ cup  tomato sauce (pasta sauce-home-made or store bought)
• ¼ cup water
• 1 egg
• olive oil, for frying

Soup

• 1 brown onion, peeled and diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 L chicken stock
• ¾ cup small dried pasta (such as Orzo or Ditalini)
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 225 g leavy green vegetables, such as spinach or silverbeet, washed, trimmed and chopped
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving

Method

 

Make the Meatballs

1. Put all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix well.
2. Using damp hands, form roughly 2cm diameter (1 inch) meatballs. Set aside
3. Cover the base of a medium-deep frypan in olive oil and place over moderate-high heat. Add the meatballs and brown briefly. They don’t need to cook all the way through at this stage, just nice and golden on the outside. Drain on paper towels.

Soup

1. Splash some olive oil into a large pot and add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until vegetables are tender.
2. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add the wine and allow to boil for a minute, then add the chicken stock, increase the heat, and bring to a boil.
4. Carefully add the meatballs and the pasta and cook for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is almost done and the meatballs are cooked through. Taste and add salt as needed.
5. Add the oregano and leafy greens, stir gently, and cook for another 2 minutes or until greens have wilted.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with grated Parmesan.

Image – Locket Photography