Italian Wedding Stew
Updated Feb 15, 2021, Published Sep 01, 2016
This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Italian Wedding Stew would traditionally be eaten with elbow macaroni but in my recipe, I’ve simply eliminated it and instead used “zoodles,” a zucchini noodle. These are versatile and can be made to fit your family. To make this a stew instead of a soup (or, as my very-non-Italian grandfather would call it: “schtoup”) we just add egg and more veggies. This thickens it up and makes it quite hearty.
Italian Wedding Stew
Ingredients
For the soup base:
- 3 tablespoons fat of choice, lard, ghee, olive oil
- 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced
- 1-2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 4 quarts gluten-free chicken or vegetable stock
- 1-2 medium zucchinis, spiralized or sliced into ribbons with a peeler
- 1 pound greens of choice, spinach, escarole, kale, chard, etc., washed and roughly chopped
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
For the meatballs:
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound ground Italian sausage, sweet or spicy, depending on your taste
- ½ pound ground veal or turkey
- ¼ cup finely diced sweet yellow onion
- 2 large eggs
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup blanched almond meal
Instructions
- In a large soup pot on medium-low, melt the fat. Add the carrots, celery, onions and parsley and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the stock and turn the heat to medium.
- While this is coming to a boil, make the meatballs. Mix all meatball ingredients in the order listed and form them into balls. Place on a baking sheet or plate and set aside.
- When the stock has come to a boil, add the zucchini noodles and greens and then slowly drop in the meatballs, one at a time, as to not splash and burn yourself. Bring back to a boil and cook for about 8 minutes or until the greens become tender and the meatballs are cooked through. Stirring in one direction, slowly drizzle in the eggs.
- Serve in bowls and garnish with additional parsley and grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 636kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 49gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 240mgSodium: 1222mgPotassium: 1760mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 14845IUVitamin C: 38.4mgCalcium: 322mgIron: 7.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
