Italian Wedding Soup with Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 8 oz. lean ground beef
• 8 oz. ground pork
• 1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs (from fresh bread not dried)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano (or 3/4 tsp dried)
• 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan
• 1 large egg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Soup

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups chopped carrots
• 1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)
• 5 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup dry acini di pepe or orzo pasta
• 6 oz fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
• Finely shredded parmesan, for serving

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, fresh bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, shredded parmesan, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Gently toss and break up the mixture with your hands to evenly distribute all ingredients.
2. Form the mixture into very small meatballs, about 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter, and place them on a large plate.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally to brown on 2 or 3 sides, for about 4 minutes. Transfer browned meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining meatballs. Note that the meatballs will not be fully cooked at this stage.
4. While browning meatballs, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped carrots, onions, and celery. Sauté until vegetables have softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
5. Pour in the chicken broth, season with salt and pepper to taste, and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the pasta and browned meatballs to the pot, then reduce heat to medium-low.
6. Cover and simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes. During the last minute of cooking, stir in the fresh baby spinach until wilted.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with finely shredded parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Notes

• Use a hearty rustic bread for fresh bread crumbs by grinding a slice in a food processor. Save remaining bread for serving or freeze for later.
• For a brothier soup, reduce pasta to 3/4 cup. Pasta will absorb broth as soup sits, so add more broth if needed to thin the soup.
• Adding a parmesan rind to the simmering soup enhances the flavor.
• This recipe yields about 12 cups of soup, serving 6 people comfortably.