Crock-Pot Italian Wedding Soup
~ This delicious, hearty Crock-Pot Italian Wedding Soup is so quick and easy to make … in your slow cooker! Your whole family will love it! Bonus: it’s loaded with simple, healthy ingredients! ~
Every year on Halloween, there’s a phenomenon that occurs in our neighborhoods. Maybe you’ve noticed it in your town, too …
Just as the little ghosties and princesses and pirates and superheroes hit the streets for trick-or-treat, something else is running rampant out there on our streets, right along with them …
Pizza delivery cars!
They’re everywhere!
Our local pizza guys have confirmed this – Halloween is their busiest night of the year!
Huh!
And sure enough, a quick Google search turned up this stat on Pizza.com’s “Fun Facts” and USA Today: Across America, the top 5 days for pizza sales every year are Halloween, Super Bowl Sunday, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and the night before Thanksgiving.
It makes sense, too.
As trick-or-treat begins, parents are hurriedly jamming kiddos into costumes (and, at least in Ohio, trying to figure out how to get snowsuits under Cinderella gowns and skin-tight superhero bodysuits). Kids are too excited to endure a long, sit-down family meal. And everyone just has to snag some nourishment where they can as the doorbell merrily rings all night.
You need something quick and easy.
Something that anyone can grab a bite of as they dash by … you know, in between the donning of costumes, the constant stream of trick-or-treaters at your door, and the excited squabbling that arises as loot is divided and categorized (chocolate in this pile, gummies in that pile, “gross stuff I don’t like and want to trade with my sister” in another pile).
But that quick-and-easy meal doesn’t have to be pizza! (You don’t have to be a statistic, friends! 😀 )
We’ve got an even better idea!
This Italian Wedding Soup is practically effortless! It’s also deliciously warming, hearty, and really nutritious (to help counterbalance all the Reese’s Cups and Snickers and Jolly Ranchers that will be going down those tiny hatches later in the evening)!
It’s also a mega-kid-approved favorite!
Quick, easy and oh-so-good! The perfect alternative to pizza this Halloween!
But don’t be surprised when your family loves it so much (and you love how simple and healthy it is), that you find yourself making it lots of other nights, all year long (including some of those other top pizza delivery days)!
Happy Trick-or-Treating, friends! May all your snowsuits fit under your princess costumes this Halloween!
Mmmmmm … Soup! Here are Some More Crock-Pot Soup and Chili Recipes You’ll Love:
- Crock-Pot Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder
- Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Crock-Pot Crazy Pineapple Chili
- Top 10 Healthy Crock-Pot Chicken Soups and Chilis
Crock Pot Italian Wedding Soup
So quick and easy in your slow cooker! Plus, this delicious, hearty Italian Wedding Soup is loaded with simple, healthy ingredients!
Ingredients
- 2 (32-ounce) cartons fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (12-ounce) package frozen turkey or chicken meatballs, thawed and cut into pieces (see note)
- 1 cup finely chopped matchstick carrots
- 1 cup frozen diced onions (see note)
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces whole wheat pasta (any small shape such as tubetti or elbows – see note)
- 3 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 1 1/2 cups)
- parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Combine broth, meatballs, carrots, onions, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in slow cooker and cook on low (6-8 hours) or on high (4 hours).
- Stir pasta into soup during last 15-20 minutes of cook time. (The exact cook time for perfectly cooked pasta can vary based on brand and pasta shape, so just check to be sure your pasta is done before serving.)
- Remove long stems from spinach and roughly chop spinach, if desired. Stir in spinach as you remove the soup from the heat, just before serving.
- Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
Notes
Meatballs: Turkey and chicken meatballs come in a variety of sizes. We typically purchase meatballs that are about 1 1/2" in diameter. For that size, we find it works great to cut each meatball into about 12 pieces, but you can adjust this according to the size of the meatballs you purchase. Your goal is to make them appealingly bite-sized.
Onions: Just as we did in our recipe for Crock Pot Corn Chowder with Chicken and Bacon, in this recipe, we prefer to use frozen diced onions for two reasons. Of course, it saves the step of chopping the onions yourself. More importantly, however, the frozen onions break down better and become softer in the slow cooker, especially when cooking this soup quickly.
Pasta: Although elbows aren't the most traditional shape for Italian Wedding Soup, we have a difficult time finding many smaller pasta shapes at our market that are available in 100% whole wheat. (Plus, elbows are always a kid-pleaser!) Feel free to use any small pasta shape that you like.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 11 servings Serving Size: 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 91Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 595mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 6g
Nutrition calculation does not include parmesan cheese, since amounts of that for serving will vary. Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may additionally vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
My pasta ended up mushy:(! Next time I will cook pasta separate and add when ready! Otherwise super yummy and easy!
Hi, Lindsey! I’m glad you liked this recipe, and sorry to hear about your pasta! In all the times making this recipe, we’ve never had that happen. Some quick questions that might help — did you add the pasta at the beginning, or 15-20 minutes before the soup was done, as the recipe recommends? Adding the pasta too soon could definitely cause it to overcook. Also, what brand of pasta did you use, and did you use whole wheat or plain pasta? As we note in the recipe, the exact cook time for perfectly cooked pasta can vary based on brand and pasta shape. And typically, plain pasta takes a bit less time to cook — so using plain pasta in a recipe intended for whole wheat could lead to mushiness. Cooking the pasta separately is definitely an option, but for an easier meal with less dishes, your best bet would be to add the pasta late in the process (with about 15-20 minutes of cook time left), and then test it every few minutes to see what cook time works for your specific brand and type of pasta. Hope that’s helpful! Let us know your results — and again, so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!
~Amy
Absolutely love this recipe! I continue to make this soup over and over again… that’s how much we love it! I highly recommend using a pack of gnocchi in place of the pasta. So yummy! 🙂
Thanks so much, Kaitlyn! I’m so glad you like this recipe! And gnocchi sounds like such a delicious addition — I’ll have to try it soon!
~Amy
Looks great! We have a longstanding tradition that goes back 3 generations in our family – of making chili on Halloween. Same concept – stay away from pizza delivery. We will be sure to try your soup soon!
Hahaha – poor pizza delivery folks – are we gonna put them out of business on their busiest night?!?! 😉 ~Shelley
Love all the flavors here, I already know I’m going to enjoy this recipe a lot!
I really think you will, Shadi! We have a neighbor who makes completely homemade, absolutely classic Wedding Soup (and generously shares with us 😀 ), and as much as my family adores that totally authentic recipe, they love this simpler, shortcut version, too. So perfect for busy nights – true comfort food, so very easily! Enjoy! ~Shelley
Love that this recipe includes premade meatballs! I usually make my own (so that I know what’s in them!I Am curious, is there a particular brand or store that you buy the premade meatballs from? I trust your knowledge of an good (reasonably) healthy brand. Thanks!
Hi, Mary! 😀 I have to apologize … I totally can’t remember! I actually just made this recipe last week, but I typically just grab the turkey meatballs my local grocery store carries … I think that just about any brand could work well, though! I’m making a note to myself to check which brand I typically use the next time I’m at the store, and I’ll make sure to pop back over and let you know! 🙂 ~Shelley