Freezer-Friendly Italian Wedding Soup

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Optional Bake Time25

Total Time1 10

Servings: servings

Calories: 351kcal

Add all meatball ingredients to a bowl and use your hands to mix and combine all ingredients. Ensure the meats are well incorporated, but be careful not to overwork it. Roll into 1 inch meatballs.
If you want to bake rather than boil the meatballs (I prefer to bake them since I find it more flavorful), pre-heat oven to 350° and line a large baking sheet with SILPAT or foil. Arrange meatballs in a single layer, spray with olive oil or cooking spray, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until just cooked through.

In a large pot or Dutch oven (I used this 7-qt one), heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmery. Add garlic, onion, celery, and carrots. Season with salt and sauté for 3-4 minutes until onions are tender.
Add white wine to the pot to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add chicken stock, Flavor God seasoning, and oregano, then cover the pot and bring to a boil.
If you'll be cooking the meatballs in the broth, drop them in the boiling broth now, cover, and cook for 8-10 minutes. If you're baking the meatballs, leave them out for now.

If you're planning to freeze some or all of the soup, cook the pasta separately. Bring salted water to boil and add the pasta for 4 minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water. Toss lightly with olive oil.
If you won't be freezing the soup, add the dry, uncooked pasta to the broth when there are 4 minutes of cook time left for the meatballs. Stir to ensure the pasta is submerged and cover the pot.

Add the spinach with about 1 minute of cook time remaining. If you baked the meatballs, add them now too. Remember that even once you remove the soup from the heat, the carryover heat will continue to cook the soup components.
Remove from heat. If you'll be freezing some of the soup, divide it into freezer safe containers like Souper Cubes or Stasher Bags and allow to cool completely before freezing. For any servings that will be eaten now, add pasta to the hot soup and allow to rest for a few minutes to finish cooking the noodles. Serve with fresh parsley and fresh grated parmesan cheese on top, if desired.

For best results, remove the frozen soup from the freezer the night before you plan to serve it and place into a microwave safe container. When ready to eat, use the defrost setting on your microwave for about 5-6 minutes. Break apart any remaining frozen chunks and continue heating on high for 2 minutes. Add frozen pasta to the soup and continue heating on high for 1-2 minutes.