I have to say, it’s pretty great living with someone who not only likes to cook, but is really good at it. And, while I may do most of the cooking, when Ry turns up, he TURNS UP. Over the past few months he’s been consistently making a handful of recipes and testing out what he likes best. One of my faves happens to be this version of Italian Wedding Soup with lots of escarole, sausage, beans and potatoes. There have been quite a few iterations along the way, but the general combo has always been, beans, greens, sausage and potatoes. It just varies on what time of year it is. He’s used everything from sweet to spicy Italian sausage, chorizo, kale as the green and even did one version with beef stock and barley that was delish.
For this specific version he used escarole and porchetta sausage, which he gets from Giunta’s at the Reading Terminal Market here in Philly. The sausage has a ton of garlic, rosemary and fennel in it, and is so good. If you’re not in Philly, and can’t get your hands on it, just use some sweet Italian sausage and add in a bit more garlic and some fresh rosemary.
And, while I may do most of the cooking, when Ry turns up, he TURNS UP.
What Makes This Italian Wedding Soup Special?
Italian wedding soup is a classic dish, but this version stands out with its combination of escarole, porchetta sausage, and parmesan. The heartiness of beans and potatoes balances the vibrant greens and savory sausage, making it perfect for any season. It’s comfort food with a fresh twist, and you can easily adapt it to suit what’s available in your kitchen.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’re gonna need to make this soup:
- Porchetta sausage – Or any Italian sausage you like. Porchetta sausage is a pretty specific ingredient, and if you’re in the Philly area I highly suggest stopping by Giunta’s Prime Shop at The Reading Terminal Market to get some. But really any sausage you will work, pork, chicken, sweet, spicy, your choice.
- White beans – Cannellini Beans or Great Northern beans are good options. If you’re using a can make sure to rinse them before adding to the soup. And if you’re starting with dried beans, soak and cook them until tender before adding to the soup.
- Escarole – Make sure the escarole is well cleaned, it can be pretty sandy. Chop it up, soak it in a big bowl of cool water, and then lift it out letting all the sand and grit settle to the bottom of the bowl. Repeat as necessary.
- Onion – A white or yellow onion is ideal for this.
- Chicken stock – I like to use Better Than Boullion Roasted Chicken Base for this, but you could use homemade stock, vegetable stock or even just use water.
- Potatoes – Not a super classic addition to Italian Wedding Soup, but the potatoes are a great addition. You could also add in some pasta to cook in the soup before serving.
- Parmesan cheese – Grated to top the soup just before serving. And, if you have an extra parmesan rind sitting around, toss it into the stock as it cooks. It will give the soup so much flavor.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic gets added in as one of the main aromatics to the soup.
- White wine – (optional) but adds a nice bit of acid and complexity to the soup, plus it helps to deglaze the pan.
- Red pepper flakes – (optional) If you want a little spice.
- Smoked paprika – A slightly unexpected ingredient here, but adds great flavor.
- Fresh ground pepper
- Olive oil
How to Make Italian Wedding Soup
- Preparing the Sausage
Start by removing the sausage from its casing and browning it in a hot pan. You likely won’t need much oil, as sausage tends to be fatty. Once the sausage is nicely browned, add the diced onions. Cook until translucent, but not browned. If needed, drain any excess fat, leaving just enough to add flavor. - Sauté the Potatoes
Add diced potatoes to the pan and cook for a minute. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits for extra flavor. Stir in the smoked paprika and red pepper flakes and cook for a few seconds. - Add Stock and Beans
Next, add the stock and let it simmer. Allow the potatoes to cook for about 10 minutes before adding the white beans and escarole. Simmer until the greens are tender and the potatoes are fully cooked, about 10 more minutes. - Season and Serve
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, top with freshly grated parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, and a crack of black pepper. - Eat up!
Pair this soup with crusty bread or a simple salad for a complete meal. It’s perfect as a cozy dinner or meal prep for the week. Leftovers reheat beautifully, making it a great option for lunches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Italian Wedding Soup?
Italian wedding soup is a traditional Italian-American dish featuring greens, meat, and broth. The name comes from the “marriage” of flavors, not because it’s served at weddings. It’s a version of “Minestra Maritata” or “Married Soup” referring to the flavors of the meat and greens coming together.
What is escarole?
Escarole is a type of leafy green vegetable that belongs to the chicory family, which also includes endive, radicchio, and frisée. It has broad, slightly curly leaves and a mildly bitter flavor, which mellows when cooked. Escarole’s bitterness is a little less intense than other chicories so it’s pretty easy to use in lots of dishes where you would any other leafy green.
It’s sturdy leaves hold up well to heat, so it is great added to a soup like this, but it can also be sautéed, added to salads, or one of my other favorites braised. I have a great Braised Escarole Recipe to check out for another quick and easy way to cook escarole.
How do I clean my escarole?
Escarole can be pretty sandy, so the best way to clean it is to chop it up, then add it to a big bowl of cool water. Rub off any sand or dirt. Let the escarole sit in the water for a moment and all that sand will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Then, gently lift out the greens, dry them if needed and you are ready to cook with them!
Can I Freeze Italian Wedding Soup?
Yes! Let the soup cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove.
Can I Use Kale or Spinach Instead of Escarole?
Absolutely. Kale, spinach, or Swiss chard are great substitutes if you can’t find escarole.
Storage Tips
This soup keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
If you have lots leftover you can freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove or microwave.
Did you try this Italian Wedding Soup? Leave a comment below with your thoughts or share your version on Instagram by tagging @TheMostHungry. I’d love to see how you made it your own!
Italian Wedding Soup
Equipment
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- 3 links porchetta sausage or any Italian sausage you like
- 1/2 white onion diced
- 4 C chicken stock vegetable stock or even water would work fine here
- 2 potatoes diced
- 1/2 C white wine optional
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 C white beans rinsed and drained
- 1 head escarole well cleaned and torn into rough pieces
- fresh ground pepper
- olive oil
- parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Since we generally start with dried beans for this, I like to soak them ahead of time and get them cooked up so they’re ready to use when Ry needs em. Obvi, this needs to get done ahead of time, otherwise just use a can of beans.
- First thing is to get the sausage browned up. Just remove it from its casing and get it into a hot pan. You shouldn’t need much oil, if any, since sausage tends to be pretty fatty. Once you start to get some color on the meat you can go ahead and add in the onions to get them cooking. You want them translucent, but not browned. You can also remove any excess fat at this point if you need to, keep a bit in there but you don’t want the soup to be super greasy. Just use your best judgement here.
- Once your onions are translucent, go ahead and add in your potatoes. They only need to cook for a minute or so, they’ll do most of their cooking once you add in the stock. You can then go ahead and add in that white wine to deglaze the pan, being sure to scrape all those good bits off the bottom of the pan. Next add in your paprika and red pepper and cook for a few second.
- Now you can add in that stock, check for seasoning and then let those potatoes cook for about 10 minutes on a low simmer. Add in your beans and escarole and then let that simmer for another 10 minutes or until the greens are tender and your potatoes are completely cooked through. I would also make sure to test for seasoning again and adjust as needed.
- To plate it up I like to add some fresh ground pepper, a generous bit of grated parmesan and most likely a drizzle of some really good olive oil. That’s it. Eat up!
Notes
Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment with your thoughts or share your version on Instagram by tagging @TheMostHungry. I’d love to see how you made it your own!
3 thoughts on Italian Wedding Soup
I’m livin in S FL. It’s warm here but I’m gonna make me some if that soup. Comfort Food at its best.
Simply delicious, hearty & easy since I used canned beans.
I also doubled the recipe to share with other family members during this ‘Stay in Place’ time.
All recipients give a hearty thumbs up! Bravo to the chef!
I love that you made this! I have some stashed in the freezer that I might pull out next week.