Low Sodium Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup

Total time4 hr 30 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time4 hr

Low Sodium Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup

This cozy, slow-simmered soup layers tender, herb-flecked meatballs of beef and pork with a rich broth built from sautéed onion, carrot, and celery, plus diced tomatoes and a good dose of Italian seasoning. The slow cooker does the heavy lifting, letting the meatballs turn tender and the vegetables soften into the broth over several hours, while tiny pasta and a handful of wilted spinach or escarole get stirred in right at the end for that classic wedding soup texture. Garlic and parsley bring brightness to the meatballs, and a shower of Parmesan at the table finishes each bowl with a savory, nutty edge. It's a deeply comforting, ladle-and-go dinner that reheats beautifully for lunches all week. Because the flavor here comes from real aromatics, herbs, and slow-cooked vegetables rather than a heavy hand with the shaker, it's an easy one to keep in your low added salt rotation.

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the meatballs

1 lb ground beef (80/20)
Kroger Ground Beef 80/20 Simple Truth 80% Lean Natural Ground Beef Harris Teeter Premium 80% Lean Ground Beef SunFed Ranch 100% Grass Fed 80% Lean Organic Ground Beef Brick Kroger 80/20 Ground Beef
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¼ lb ground pork
⅓ cup plain breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Chef's tip
Choose a grated-style vegan parmesan and use the same amount.
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt
Chef's tip
Season to taste - salt substitutes can taste bitter in larger amounts, so start with less.
¼ tsp black pepper

For the soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
3 stalks celery, sliced ¼-inch thick
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
Chef's tip
Season to taste - salt substitutes can taste bitter in larger amounts, so start with less.
¼ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
1 cup acini di pepe or ditalini pasta, dry
4 cups fresh baby spinach or escarole, roughly chopped

For serving

½ cup grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Chef's tip
Choose a grated-style vegan parmesan and use the same amount.

Instructions

1
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan, egg, 2 cloves minced garlic, parsley, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Mix with your hands until just combined — do not overwork the mixture.
2
Roll the meat mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter (roughly the size of a large marble) and arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. You should get about 40–45 meatballs.

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