Little Italy Wedding Soup - Standard Recipe

You Will Need

Little Italy Wedding Soup Mix
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (optional)
1 lb. turkey Italian sausage, about 4-5 links
2 egg whites or 1 egg, beaten
10 cups chicken broth (80 oz.)
1 head escarole, chopped (4 cups) or 1 box frozen spinach, thawed & drained

Here's What You Do

Preparing the meatballs:

To form meatballs easily, keep a bowl of cold water nearby and dip fingers between rolling meatballs.
Push the turkey sausage out of casings into mixing bowl. Discard casings.
Add contents of breadcrumb seasoning mixture and egg to the bowl with the turkey. Combine mixture well.
Form small meatballs by hand, about 60. Set aside in refrigerator, or freezer, until ready to add to the soup.

Preparing the soup:

In a 6-quart pot, heat oil over medium low heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes, then add the contents of the vegetable & seasoning packet. (If omitting onion, add contents of the vegetable & seasoning packet to the oil, stir for 30 seconds.)
Add the broth, stir, and bring to a boil.
Add meatballs, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Uncover, bring soup to a boil. Stir in tiny pasta and escarole or spinach.
Return to a simmer, cover, and cook 10-15 minutes. If soup is too thick, add 1-3 cups of water, as needed.

Got leftovers? Learn how to cool, store, and reheat soup safely in our guide to soup storage and food safety.

Cooking & Nutrition Tips

Use the tips below to customize nutrition, boost flavor, or stretch the soup to fit your needs.

Reducing Sodium?

All of our mixes contain no added salt, only what occurs naturally in the ingredients. To further reduce sodium, use a low-sodium broth, bone broth, or stock. Organic broths often contain less sodium, and homemade broth/stock gives you the most control.

Halve sausage or replace with extra lean ground turkey and season with garlic/onion powder and black pepper
Use just 1 tbsp grated Parmesan per serving or skip entirely

Boosting Protein?

Use lean meats like ground chicken, turkey, or 96/4 beef, mixing in extra Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, and adding white beans like Cannellini.

Cutting Calories/Fat?

Skip meatballs and use lean turkey sausage or a vegetarian version
Top with basil instead of Parmesan cheese

More Veggies?

To boost vegetables, add 1 1/2 cups chopped patty pan squash or yellow squash with escarole.
To vary vegetables, substitute 1 bulb chopped fennel for onion.

Interested in whole grains or extra fiber?

Add 1/2 cup whole grain farro with broth (look for whole farro, not pearled)
Serve with crusty whole grain baguette

Looking for Mediterranean-Inspired additions?

Replace Parmesan cheese with 1 tablespoon chopped, unsalted pecans
Add sautéed zucchini or roasted red peppers for extra vegetables

Serving and Garnish Ideas

Top with freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, chopped fresh parsley, and a drizzle of high-quality olive oil. Serve with rustic, crusty sourdough bread or garlic bread, and consider adding a Parmesan rind while simmering.

Cooking Methods

Slow Cooker

Recommended slow cooker size: 4 quart

Here’s What You Do:

Preparing the Meatballs:

Follow directions for preparing the meatballs.

Preparing the Soup:

Place broth, chopped onion, meatballs, and contents of the larger seasoning packet into the bowl of 4-6 quart slow cooker.
Set the heat on low and let simmer 6 to 7 hours covered.
Add pasta packet, cover and continue to cook for 45 minutes longer and serve.
Additional Tips:
If prefer not to add the escarole, may use 8 cups of broth instead of 10 cups.

Pressure Cooker

We do not have a specific Pressure Cooker recipe for this soup at this time.

Dietary Adaptations

These mixes are flexible by design. Use the adaptations below to meet your dietary needs or cooking preferences.

Vegan

Tiny meatballs are the essential ingredient of any Italian wedding soup, so use a plant-based meat substitute to prepare the “meat” balls. We find this soup is delicious with plenty of escarole and leaving out the meatballs as well.

You Will Also Need:

14 oz. Package non-meat Italian sausage
1 Tbsp. Water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 cups vegetable broth (64 oz.)
½ head escarole, chopped (4 cups) or 5 oz. fresh Spinach, chopped

Here’s What You Do:

Preparing the non-meat Meatballs:

To form meatballs easily, keep a small bowl of cold water nearby and dip fingers between rolling meatballs.
In a medium sized bowl, mix contents of smaller packet of breadcrumb seasoning mixture, meat substitute and water. Form 60-70 small “meat” balls. Set aside in refrigerator, or freezer, until ready to add to the soup.

Preparing the Soup:

In a 6-quart pot, heat oil over medium low heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes and stir in the contents of the vegetable seasoning packet.
Add broth, stir, and bring to boil.
Add Plant-based meatballs, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
Uncover, bring soup to a boil. Stir in tiny pasta from soup mix and escarole or spinach.
Return to simmer, cover, and cook 10 minutes. If soup is too thick, add 1-3 cups water, if needed and serve.

Vegetarian

Use 1 medium onion, 1 pound cut butternut squash, and 3 cloves minced garlic instead of sausage
Sauté with breadcrumb mixture and seasoning packet for 3–5 minutes before adding broth
Skip meatball prep and proceed with escarole and pasta

Gluten Free

Allergen Info: Contains wheat. This is not a gluten free soup and cannot be modified.

Dairy Free

This soup is naturally dairy free when prepared as directed. No special substitutions are needed.

Recipe Variations

Looking to switch things up? A few simple tweaks can make this recipe your own.

Spicy Chicken Sausage & Spinach: Substitute spicy chicken sausage for the turkey or chicken and add fresh spinach for a bold, savory twist.

Inspired by our customers. Thanks to Wayne for sharing his idea. Have a favorite twist of your own? Send us an email or leave a review on the product page.