Italian Wedding Soup
 
 
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • For the meatballs:
  • 1 pound ground chicken, turkey, pork or beef (or a combination)
  • ½ cup fresh white breadcrumbs
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan, plus extra for serving
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • For the soup:
  • 2 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, minced
  • 3-4 carrots, ¼-inch diced
  • 3 stalks celery, ¼-inch diced
  • 2 quarts homemade chicken stock
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup dry small pasta such as orzo or acini de pepe pasta
  • 8 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. To make the meatballs, place the ground meat, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a bowl and mix well with a fork or your hands. Using your hands roll mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
  3. In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
  4. Cook the pasta in a separate pot according to package directions. Drain and add to soup.
  5. Add the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with extra grated Parmesan.
Recipe by Three Hungry Boys at https://www.threehungryboys.com/2022/11/28/italian-wedding-soup/