Ingredients

If you want to make this recipe for Italian wedding soup, here are the ingredients that you will need!

• Pork foot – I recommend adding one foot, cut in half lengthwise (ask your butcher). Alternatively, you can use pork bones and pork belly (see recipe tips section).
• Pork shoulder – I like to use pork shoulder but any cut of pork could work. Try to find a cut that stews well, usually a fatty part.
• Pork short ribs – Perfect to make a delicious broth since they are quite meaty, fatty and have some bones.
• Italian sausages – Alternatively you can replace the Italian sausage with small meatballs (used in the Italian-American version of this soup).
• Kale – You can also use a different leafy green vegetable.
• Chard – I used baby chard, but you can use regular chard.
• Cabbage – I use regular green cabbage.
• Chicory – Adds a hint of bitterness to the soup. Feel free to skip it if you don’t like it.
• Carrot – Adds a hint of sweetness and flavor to the broth.
• Celery sticks – Add flavor to the broth.
• White onion – Adds extra flavor; use a white or yellow onion, not onion powder.
• Garlic cloves – Use fresh garlic, not store-bought minced garlic or garlic powder.
• Olive oil – For frying the vegetables.
• Salt – Enhances the overall flavor of the soup.
• Black peppercorns – Alternatively you can also use ground black pepper to taste.
• Parmesan rinds or parmesan chunks – Add extra flavor to the soup. Use Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano for the best taste.

Recipe Tips and Substitutions

• There are many variations of this soup. You can use various cuts of pork such as pork feet, pork skin, sausage, ribs, and shoulder. For vegetables, green leafy vegetables like chard, kale, cabbage, and chicory are common. Feel free to customize the vegetables based on your taste and availability.
• If pork feet are not appealing or hard to find, substitute them with pork bones and pork belly to achieve a similar flavor and consistency in the broth (e.g. 10 ounces pork belly with skin and a couple of medium pork bones).
• You can cook the broth on the stovetop or use a pressure cooker for convenience. If using a pressure cooker, cook for 1.5 hours, followed by a slow release of 30 minutes and a manual release if needed. This shortens the process without affecting the final result.
• When using Italian sausages or meatballs, I like to include them at the end with the vegetables so they don’t overcook.

How to Make Italian Wedding Soup – Step by Step Instructions

First, prepare the vegetables for the broth: Peel and dice the onion. Wash and chop the carrot and celery. Also, peel and chop the garlic cloves.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Then add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook over medium heat until golden and fragrant. Stir regularly.

Next, add the pork foot, pork shoulder chunks, and pork ribs to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.

Add enough water to the pot to cover the ingredients and simmer, covered, for about 3 hours. Stir occasionally.

In the meantime, prepare the rest of the vegetables: Cut the cabbage into small pieces. Remove the hard stems from the kale and cut it into small pieces.

Cut the ends of the chicory and chard, then cut them into large pieces (not necessary if using baby chard). Rinse everything and set it aside.

Also cut the Italian sausages into small pieces and keep them in the fridge until needed.

Once the 3 hours are up, strain the broth to remove the meat chunks and any loose bones.

Place the meat in a bowl. Remove all the bones and cut any big chunks of meat into smaller pieces.

Then add the cleaned meat, the sausages, and the vegetables back to the pot.

Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the Italian sausage is cooked.

Taste and season with more salt or black pepper if needed.

Serve the soup with a few parmesan chunks in each bowl. If using parmesan rinds, add them at the end of the cooking process. Enjoy!