Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
ShareEasy and hearty slow cooker Italian wedding soup with mini chicken meatballs. A comforting meal perfect for any night of the week.
Book update! I finished Slammed. I couldn’t put it down! I was so much better than I ever anticipated it would be. Of course, it also made me cry a ton. But it was such a good book. I only wish I had read it sooner, but I’m also glad that I waited. You know it’s a good book when it touches you so much, bringing you to tears. The only book I remember making me cry more was Marley & Me. Such a tear jerker! Another amazing book, that if you haven’t read, you absolutely should! But both come with that warning… have a box of tissues ready!
I’m always amazed at how creative kids can be. Last year during one of our snowstorms, I was watching my kids out the window playing in the snow. Suddenly they’re all diving head first sliding down our mini hill. No sleds…no problem. Just sliding down on their bellies. They looked just like penguins diving down a hill. It still cracks me up to this day, especially since they still do it. I’m half tempted not to get sleds since I wonder if it would be a waste. They’re doing so well without them!
Everyone has a favorite soup. This is the Mr’s. He requests it time and time again. This is an updated version from what I shared many years ago.
Easy. Flavorful. Hearty. And absolutely comforting! A perfect soup to warm up with on those cold winter days and nights!
My favorite part is the mini meatballs. They’re perfectly sized to fit on a spoon! But best of all… they have a nice spicy kick… optional of course, but I totally recommend it!
This classic soup is an absolute must make. Make it even easier by preparing the meatballs ahead and tossing all of the ingredients in the slow cooker before heading off to work. Come home to a warm comforting meal, ready to enjoy!
Psst… don’t forget the cheese! A perfect topping for this fun soup!
This easy slow cooker Italian wedding soup should definitely be part of your dinner plans! Bonus, it makes for great leftovers!
Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
Soup:
- 3/4 C carrots chopped
- 3/4 C celery chopped
- 1 C yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 8 C chicken broth
- 4 C baby spinach chopped
- 1/2 C acini de pepe pasta
Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/4 C Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 C seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Add chopped carrots, celery, onion and minced garlic to the bowl of a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle in dried herbs and spices. Top off with chicken broth. Cover and begin cooking for 4 hours on high or low for 8 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine meatball ingredients. Using a small cookie scoop, fill scoop half full with meatball mixture. Shape each portion into a smooth ball. Meatballs should be roughly 1-inch wide. Repeat with remaining meatball mixture. Space evenly on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Carefully transfer cooked meatballs to the slow cooker. Cover and continue cooking.
- When initial cook time is up, add chopped spinach and pasta. Replace cover and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.
- Serve warm with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
Items used in this recipe:
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This is one of my favorite soups. I’ll definitely have to try this slow cooker version!
I hope you enjoy it, April! :)
This soup looks so warm and delicious! I could totally make this and enjoy for lunch all week!
Thanks so much Taylor!
My kind of comfort food! Perfect for chilly winter evenings!
Thanks, Jessica! Definitely great for a winter night!
I am a strict vegetarian so might not be able to comment on the taste of the recipe but I absolutely liked your presentation and picture!!!
Thanks, Puja!
This looks delicious and easy! I love that it is made in a slow cooker. Perfect for a weekday meal!
Thanks Shauna!
Recipes look good. I’ll be trying the chicken pram soup.
Enjoy!
At what point, time-wise, in the cooking process are the meatballs added to the broth?
Add them when they’re done cooking. If you’ve made them ahead, they can be added with the other ingredients in the beginning. Enjoy!
This was a great soup! I’d like to comment how I made the soup, hoping it may help answer questions other novice cooks, like myself, may have. What always makes me question myself is quantities of whole vegetables needed opposed to measured by volume. These numbers are all my opinion and I did measure after I cut, so they are close to accurate. I used two carrots, two stalks of celery, one onion about tennis ball size and one bag of 6 oz. spinach. The spinach may have been slightly too much. I also had to speed up the cooking, since the kids started getting impatient, and placed the pasta/spinach in after 3:30 on high and ate it after 4:00 hours total. This worked for me. I want to try again slow cooked. Lastly, I rolled out 19 meatballs from the mixture. They were the size of 2-3 bites. Thank you for posting this recipe, certainly a keeper. Sorry for the long comment ;)
So glad you enjoyed it! :)
Made this tonight and was delish. However will skip the added salt in the soup since the broth has enough. Was a bit too salty for me but not inedible. Can’t wait to make it again!
So glad you enjoyed it, Leslie! As far as the salt goes, depending on the salt or brand of broth you use, you may need to adjust the salt. Seasonings for savory dishes are always just a guide.
This is such great soup! My 8yr old (who never likes my homemade meatballs) ate several and liked it!
This one is definitely going in the binder of saved recipes. Thank you!!
So glad your little one enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing, Kate! :)
Hi! Do you cook the pasta before adding it into the slow cooker?
I generally do not but you can if you prefer.