Gluten Free Italian Wedding Soup
This soul-warming soup is the kind of bowl that makes you want to pull a chair up to the stove and never leave — tender herb-and-Parmesan meatballs, sweet carrots, celery, wilted escarole, and little pasta shapes all swimming in a rich chicken broth. The trick to making a classic like this work without gluten is surprisingly straightforward: gluten free breadcrumbs keep the pork-and-beef meatballs perfectly bound and juicy, while a gluten free small pasta like ditalini-style holds its shape beautifully in the broth. Baking the meatballs in the oven first means they get a gorgeous brown exterior before they ever hit the pot, which adds serious depth to every spoonful. The escarole wilts down in just a few minutes and brings a gentle bitterness that balances all that savory richness — it's the detail that makes this soup taste like it came from a real Italian kitchen. A finish of freshly grated Parmesan over the top ties everything together. This recipe makes six generous servings, so it's ideal for a weeknight family dinner or for stashing leftovers that somehow taste even better the next day.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground pork
- ½ lb ground beef (80/20)
- ⅓ cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the soup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup gluten free small pasta (such as ditalini or orzo-style)
- 4 cups escarole, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
For serving
- parmesan cheese, freshly grated, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, gluten free breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until just combined — do not overwork. Roll into 1-inch balls (you should get about 36) and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
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