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Slow-Cooker Italian Wedding Soup

Prep 10 min
Total 4 hr 0 min
Servings 6

This slow-cooker version of classic Italian wedding soup is the perfect recipe to ease you into sweater weather. It starts with extra-easy frozen meatballs (what did we do before those?) and then it’s hands off, because your slow cooker does all the work for you. Mangia! MORE+ LESS-

By Macheesmo

September 15, 2017

Ingredients

white onion, diced

carrots, peeled and diced

stalks celery, diced

cup sliced mushrooms

14-16 oz frozen mini meatballs

bay leaves

cartons (32 oz each) Progresso™ chicken broth

1/2

cup orzo pasta

4-5 oz fresh baby spinach

Salt and pepper

Steps

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1

Add all ingredients except baby spinach to a large slow cooker.
2

Cook on high heat for about 4 hours until pasta is tender and soup is done.
3

A few minutes before serving, add baby spinach and stir to wilt. Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Expert Tips

When it comes to frozen meatballs, there is a wide range available. Most frozen meatballs are beef, pork or a combination of the two; any type will work in this soup. Many grocery stores sell bags of frozen mini meatballs, but you can honestly use any of them, as long as they’re not sauced. I chose ones that were slightly smaller just so there wouldn’t be huge meatballs in the soup, but it’s all your preference. As far as pastas go, again, it’s a flexible recipe. I think orzo works best but any small pasta (or even rice) would be fine.

Nutrition Information

No nutrition information available for this recipe

More About This Recipe

Believe it or not, it’s almost fall, and this slow-cooker Italian wedding soup is the perfect introduction to chilly weather and soup season. It’s a warming meal, but it’s also light enough to not weigh you down too much. Also, it’s stupidly simple to make and cooks while you’re doing something else. Just toss all the ingredients in a slow cooker except the spinach (which will overcook if you let it cook for hours). Then set it on high and forget it for a few hours! At the end of the day, this is humble comfort food at its best. Easy to make, even easier to eat, and ready when you want it to be ready. Also, speaking from experience, little kids like this soup a lot. It’s got interesting pieces in it that they can pick out and the flavors are simple and delicious.