Italian Wedding Soup (East Side Mario's Copycat)

Ingredients

For the tiny meatballs:

1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb extra lean ground beef
1/2 small onion grated
2 cloves garlic garlic
1/4 teaspoon Lemon zest optional
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese freshly grated
1 tablespoon parsley freshly chopped
3 tablespoons Breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon Milk
1 Egg
Salt and pepper to taste around 1 1/2 teaspoons

For the soup:

3/4 cup Acini de pepe pasta or any other shortcut pasta
5 ounces 140 grams of fresh baby spinach or 30 g frozen spinach
1/4 tsp Lemon zest optional
7 cups Chicken broth if using store-bought, 2 cartons of around 900ml each
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
Fresh parsley
Salt to taste

Instructions

Start by combining all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly and shape the mixture and shape them into mini round balls. Set them aside for later.
1/2 lb ground pork, 1/2 lb extra lean ground beef, 1/2 small onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 teaspoon Lemon zest, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon parsley, 3 tablespoons Breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon Milk, 1 Egg, Salt and pepper to taste
Pour chicken stock into a large pot over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil.
7 cups Chicken broth
Once the broth is boiling, gently add the meatballs and cook for about 10 minutes.
Stir in the garlic powder and the pasta, then cook according to the package instructions.
3/4 cup Acini de pepe pasta, 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
When there are about 2 minutes left for the pasta to cook, add the spinach and cook for a couple more minutes until wilted and tender.
5 ounces 140 grams of fresh baby spinach
Adjust the seasoning with salt to your liking, turn off the heat, and just before serving, add the optional 1/2 tsp of grated lemon zest and freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy!
1/4 tsp Lemon zest, Fresh parsley, Salt to taste

Video

Notes

🍲 Broth: Use a good-quality chicken broth for the best flavor. My personal preference is to use reduced-salt or unsalted broth, as I find regular versions usually too salty. Taste before adding extra salt — you can always adjust at the end.

🧂 Salt: Be mindful of your salt levels, especially if your broth or Parmesan is already salted. It’s always easier to add more later than to fix an overly salty soup.

🥩 Meatballs: Dampen your hands slightly when rolling — it helps prevent sticking and makes shaping the meatballs much easier.

🧅 Onion tip: Make sure to use a small onion. Too much moisture from a large one can make the mixture too soft and difficult to shape.

⚙️ Prep shortcut: Instead of grating the onion and garlic, you can use a food processor or mini chopper to finely mince the onion, garlic, and parsley. It’s quicker and keeps the texture consistent.

❄️ Storage: Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth or water if the soup thickens.

Nutrition