The Easy Italian Soup I’m Making All Winter Long

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By Tere Espinoza

The Easy Italian Soup I’m Making All Winter Long

Name: The Easy Italian Soup I’m Making All Winter Long
Cuisine: European, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 pound mild Italian ground sausage; 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock; 1 cup small pasta, such as ditalini, acini de pepe, or orzo; 4 packed cups (4 to 5 ounces) spinach or escarole, stems removed and roughly torn; 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or as needed; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or as needed

8 steps

This quick and easy version of Italian wedding soup achieves the perfect marriage between weeknight simplicity and depth of flavor. The recipe makes the most of ground Italian sausage to streamline the cooking process while still offering lots of oomph.

Updated at: Wed, 22 Jan 2025 21:52:28 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Good

Glycemic Index

Low

Nutrition per serving

Calories2250.1 kcal (113%)

Total Fat96.3 g (138%)

Carbs191.4 g (74%)

Sugars45.2 g (50%)

Protein150.1 g (300%)

Sodium9656 mg (483%)

Fiber8.5 g (31%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

0 servings

1 poundItalian ground sausage

mild

2 tablespoonsolive oil

plus more for drizzling

2 quartschicken stock

1 cuppasta

small, such as ditalini, acini de pepe, or orzo

4 cupsspinach

or escarole, stems removed and roughly torn

2 teaspoonskosher salt

or as needed

½ teaspoonblack pepper

freshly ground, or as needed

Instructions

Step 1

Start by rolling one-inch balls of Italian sausage, then sear them in olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Set the meatballs aside, and sauté chopped onions and garlic in the same pan until soft.

Step 2

Add chicken stock and bring everything to a boil. Add the pasta and sausage balls and simmer, then add your greens and cook for a few minutes. I prefer escarole for its earthy bitterness, but spinach is a great quick-cooking choice here. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and lots of Parmesan cheese on top.

Step 3

Make sure the sausage balls are small (about an inch in diameter) so they cook quickly.

Step 4

Roll the ground sausage into 1-inch “meatballs” and place on a plate. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Fry the meatballs on all sides, working in batches if necessary, about 10 minutes. Transfer them to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Step 5

In the same pot (don’t wipe it out), sauté the onion until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant and soft, another 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 6

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce to a simmer and add the pasta and browned meatballs. Simmer until the pasta is barely al dente according to the package directions, about 8 minutes. Stir occasionally, ensuring the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Step 7

Add the spinach and simmer until the spinach is dark and wilted and the pasta is cooked, another 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and taste. To serve, optionally drizzle with good-quality olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Step 8

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or cooled completely and frozen for up to one month.