Italian Wedding Soup with White Beans

Italian wedding soup recipe in a white bowl on a marble counter — Photo:
Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

Cook Time:

1 hr

Active Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 30 mins

Servings:

Yield:

1 3/4 cups

Nutrition Profile:

Bone-Health Healthy Aging Healthy Immunity High-Fiber High-Protein Low-Calorie

Jump to Nutrition Facts

How to Make Healthy Italian-Style Wedding Soup

This version of Italian-style wedding soup features turkey meatballs, veggies and fiber-rich beans. Here are tips on how to make it:

Use Ground Turkey Breast for the Meatballs

Meatballs made with ground turkey are a lean alternative to beef meatballs, provided you choose turkey ground from the breast. Ground turkey breast has less fat than regular ground turkey, which is a mixture of light and dark meat and some skin. A mixture of whole-wheat breadcrumbs, egg, fresh parsley, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and crushed fennel seeds keeps these low-fat meatballs moist, tender and flavorful.

Ingredients for the Italian wedding soup recipe in a mixing bowl — Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

Brown the Meatballs

Browning the meatballs before adding them to the soup gives them a boost of flavor. It also creates "fond" in the skillet, which is the caramelized browned bits at the bottom of the pan after browning meat. The fond is deglazed with white wine, which adds even more flavor to the soup. Browning also forms a crust on the meatballs, which helps them keep their shape when simmering in the soup.

Add the Veggies and Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

This soup is loaded with healthy carrots, celery, cabbage, white beans and escarole or kale. Substitute spinach, chicory, chard or any other leafy green for the escarole or kale, and any leftover cooked (or canned) beans for the white beans. Use low-sodium chicken broth to reduce sodium intake.

Can I Make Italian-Style Wedding Soup Ahead?

Absolutely! Refrigerate the soup for up to three days or freeze for up to six months. Reheat and top with cheese just before serving.

Additional reporting by Jan Valdez

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Ingredients

Meatballs

1 pound ground turkey breast
1 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tip)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup dry white wine

Soup

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 cup chopped carrots (2 medium)
1 cup chopped celery (2 medium stalks)
4 cups chopped cabbage (about 1/2 small head)
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
8 cups coarsely chopped escarole or thinly sliced kale leaves (about 1 bunch)
½ cup freshly grated Romano cheese

Directions

To prepare meatballs: Combine turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic, Worcestershire, fennel seeds, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up. With damp hands, shape the mixture into 32 (1-inch) meatballs (about 1 scant tablespoon each).

Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from the heat and add wine, stirring gently to loosen any browned bits.

Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
To prepare soup: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, 7 to 9 minutes. Add cabbage and cook, stirring, 5 minutes more. Stir in broth, beans, escarole (or kale) and the meatballs and any juice. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Top each portion with 1 tablespoon grated cheese.

Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

Equipment

Large nonstick skillet, soup pot or Dutch oven

Tip

To make your own fresh breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. To make fine breadcrumbs, process until very fine. To make dry breadcrumbs, spread coarse or fine breadcrumbs on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until dry, about 10 to 15 minutes. One slice of bread makes about 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs or about 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs.

Originally appeared: EatingWell Soups Special Issue April 2016; updated March 2023

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

284	Calories
11g	Fat
24g	Carbs
24g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 284
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 24g	9%
Dietary Fiber 6g	23%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 24g	48%
Total Fat 11g	14%
Saturated Fat 4g	18%
Cholesterol 60mg	20%
Vitamin A 4130IU	83%
Vitamin C 22mg	24%
Folate 142mcg	35%
Sodium 523mg	23%
Calcium 206mg	16%
Iron 3mg	18%
Magnesium 33mg	8%
Potassium 870mg	19%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.