Slushy would be the best word to describe my first winter/polar vortex in New York. The past few months have been a never-ending cycle of snow and rain, so over the weekend I took a break from the slush and found solace in this hearty Italian soup.
Wedding soup typically consists of green vegetables, meatballs and pasta in a clear chicken-based broth. My favorite version is by Ina Garten, which combines the chicken broth base with spinach, onion, carrots, spinach, celery and small shaped pasta. The meatballs are a blend of chicken and spicy chicken sausage; these can be made ahead of time and are also great just on their own. This flavorful soup will keep you warm all winter long. Enjoy!
Italian Wedding Soup with Spicy Chicken Meatballs
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: 6-8 Servings
Ingredients
- For the meatballs:
- ¾ pound ground chicken
- ½ pound chicken sausage, casings removed
- ⅔ cup fresh white bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- ¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 cup minced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into ¼ inch pieces
- ¾ cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into ¼ inch pieces
- 10 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
- ¼ cup minced fresh dill
- 12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1¼-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
- In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted.
- Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.
Easy Italian Recipes says
March 4, 2014 at 2:42 pmHi! Your Italian wedding soup has been nominated as one of the “Best Italian Wedding Soup Recipes on the Net”. To vote for it please visit http://easyitalianrecipes.org/soup-recipes/best-italian-wedding-soup-recipes-on-the-net-vote-for-your-favorite/ (your recipe is positioned at #12).
jaqueleen says
March 5, 2014 at 9:44 pmI’m so making this!
jaqueleen says
March 5, 2014 at 9:44 pmUmmm that comment above is a pretty big deal! 😀
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