This soup makes me think of Millie, this terrific woman I used to work with when I was much younger. At least once a week on our lunch break, we’d get some Italian Wedding Soup from the cafe down the street from our office. This recipe reminds me of her and brings a smile to my face.

INGREDIENTS

For the Mini Italian Meatballs:

1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese - grated
2 Tbsp whole milk
2 Tbsp parsley - chopped
1 egg - beaten
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic - minced
3/4 tsp salt - or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper - or to taste
pinch nutmeg
1/2 lb. ground beef - or ground pork or a combination of both

For the Soup:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion - chopped
1 cup carrots - chopped
1 cup celery - chopped
1 Tbsp garlic - minced
1 cup ham - 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp crushed red pepper - or more to taste
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp black pepper - freshly ground
1 tsp salt - or to taste
1 large or 2 small bay leaves
7 cups chicken broth
25 mini mini Italian meatballs - (recipe included above)
1/2 cup acini di pepe pasta
2 cups cannellini beans - cooked (or 1 15 oz. can)
2 cups spinach - fresh, chopped
2 eggs - beaten
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese - grated
1/2 cup parsley - chopped

DIRECTIONS

For the Mini Italian Meatballs:

Combine all ingredients for the meatballs, except the ground beef.
Add in the ground beef and combine well. If the mixture is too wet to form meatballs, add more breadcrumbs as needed. If the mixture is too dry, add some chicken broth.
Form into 3/4-inch mini meatballs and place on a baking sheet until ready to use.

For the Soup:

Select the ‘Saute’ function and pre-heat the Instant Pot.
Once the Instant Pot has pre-heated, heat the olive oil.
Stir in onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and ham and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
Deglaze with white wine and stir to remove any brown bits. Press 'Cancel'
Stir in red pepper, oregano, black pepper, salt, and bay leaves.
Stir in broth.
Gently stir in meatballs and pasta.
Close the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
Do a quick release, initially releasing the pressure in short bursts to avoid food particles from spewing out with the steam.
Open the Instant Pot and stir in beans and spinach.
In 'Saute' mode, cook soup for another 2 minutes, or until heated through and spinach has wilted.
Using silicone mitts, carefully remove the inner pot from the base unit and place on a heat-resistant surface or use a trivet.
Temper the eggs: Off heat, add 6 tablespoons of the hot broth to the beaten eggs, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the egg/broth mixture to the soup in a steady slow drizzle, constantly stirring in a circular fashion.
Serve into soup bowls and garnish each serving with freshly grated parmesan cheese and parsley.

Italian Wedding Soup (Instant Pot)

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS