Italian Wedding Soup Orzo

Last Updated on February 7, 2024 by Jess

Soup is nearly my favorite thing in the world to cook. It’s incredibly flexible. It generally involves chopping a ton of vegetables, which is something that is very cathartic for me. And most of all, it reheats and serves so well. While thinking about some of my favorite soups, I got to thinking that it would be fun to turn some of them into bakes or skillets. And in this, Italian Wedding Soup Orzo was born. 

I like to “shop” our pantry and try to keep many recipes with things we have on hand. If you open our fridge, you will always see carrots and celery (part of the base in so many soups, you see a theme right?). We have a ton of ground Italian venison in our freezer and I always have orzo. I even had spinach on hand after making my spinach and blueberry salad. 

I got to work making an orzo dish that has a feel of risotto in the way the orzo is prepared. The family was definitely pleased with the way it all came together: A soup without the broth!  I hope you like it as much as we did! 

Your Ingredients for Italian Wedding Soup Orzo

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage (we use our Italian venison)
• 1 egg
• ½ cup bread crumbs 
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the orzo:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• ½ cup celery, diced
• ½ cup onion, diced
• ½ cup carrots, diced
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon orzo
• 1 ¼  cup orzo
• 4  cups chicken stock, warmed 
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• 3 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Your Steps to Italian Wedding Soup Orzo

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix Italian sausage, egg, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese (salt and pepper, if wanted). Mix until well combined. Form into 1 inch diameter meatballs. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through. 

Meanwhile, begin to prep the orzo. Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add the butter and garlic. Once the butter has melted, add the orzo and toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. From here, add the chicken stock in half cup increments, stirring very often. Once each ½ cup has been absorbed, add the next ½ cup, cooking about 15-18 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. (Think risotto) 

From here, add just a bit more stock and stir in the spinach, parmesan cheese, and pepper. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Plate the orzo and top with baked meatballs. 

Italian Wedding Soup Orzo

This Italian Wedding Soup Orzo has all the feels and flavors of Italian Wedding Soup without the broth to go with it.

3 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• Deep saucepan
• baking sheets

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 1 egg
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Orzo

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup celery diced
• ½ cup onion diced
• ½ cup carrots diced
• 2 garlic clove minced
• 1 tablespoon orzo
• 1 ¼ cup orzo
• 4 cups chicken stock warmed
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• 3 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix Italian sausage, egg, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese (and salt and pepper, if wanted). Mix until well combined. Form into 1 inch diameter meatballs. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through.
• Meanwhile, begin to prep the orzo. Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until softened, about 5-8 minutes.
• Add the butter and garlic. Once the butter has melted, add the orzo and toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the chicken stock in half cup increments, stirring very often. Once each ½ cup has been absorbed, add the next ½ cup, cooking about 15-18 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. (Think risotto)
• Add just a bit more stock and stir in the spinach, parmesan cheese, and pepper. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Plate the orzo and top with baked meatballs.

Keyword carrots, Italian meatballs, Italian sausage, Italian Wedding Soup, meatballs, orzo, orzo and meatballs, orzo dish, pasta dish, spinach

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