Italian Wedding Soup is one of my favourite soups. The combination of meatballs, pasta, greens and broth make it hit all the spots. It’s hearty and comforting, but it’s got a dash of healthiness to it also.
If you’re making soup, it’s a good time to use homemade stock. If you not have any handy, use the best store-bought stuff you can and definitely use a low-sodium variety. I make the meatballs with ground turkey, but you can also use chicken, pork, beef or a combo. For this amount of soup, you’ll only need to use about half the meatballs (and it’s a lot of soup) so you can freeze the uncooked or cooked meatballs and use them for something later.
Italian Wedding Soup
6-8 servings
Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp thyme
salt/pepper
1/4-1/2 cup breadcrumbs
In a food chopper or processor blend the garlic and onion until it’s a paste. In a bowl, combine the cheese, egg, spices and breadcrumbs and blended onion/garlic. Mix together until combined. Then add the turkey and mix together.
Make the meatballs about 1/2 inch or smaller. Remember that they will expand, and need to fit on a spoon. Make roughly enough meatballs to cover a dinner plate for the soup. Use the remaining meatballs for something else.
Soup
1/2 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes (optional)
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar or white wine
5-6 cups chicken stock
1 cup tiny pasta (ditalini, orzo, or acini de pepe)
5-6 cups spinach, kale, chard or a combination
Olive Oil
In a large dutch oven or stock pot, cook the onion, garlic, carrots and chili over medium heat until soft and lightly brown. Add the white wine vinegar or wine and cook until reduced. Then add the stock. Bring the stock to a boil and carefully add the meatballs, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
In a separate pot cook the pasta according to the directions, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the pasta from cooking.
Cook the soup for 30-45 minutes until the meatballs are cooked, then add the greens. Cook for 10 minutes then taste for seasoning and add as needed.
Add the pasta a few minutes before serving.
NOTE: This soup freezes quite well.