Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

There are countless variations on this soup, which—contrary to popular belief, is named for the way the flavors of the greens and meat marry so well (and not for the occasions on which it is served). But go ahead—serve it at a wedding to symbolize the harmony you’ll experience in life together.

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Ingredients

Meatballs
1/2 pound of ground sirloin
1/2 pound of ground pork
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 large of egg
1/3 cup of seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon of chopped oregano
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Soup
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium of onion finely chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
1 carrot finely chopped
1 celery rib finely chopped
8 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 bunch of escarole torn into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup of acini di pepe pasta
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Meatballs: Combine the ground sirloin, ground pork, cheese, egg, breadcrumbs, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl; mix well. Form the mixture into 36 meatballs.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add half the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 4-5 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a plate covered with paper towel to drain. Add the remaining meatballs to the skillet and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
  3. Soup: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7-8 minutes. Pour in the broth and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, add the escarole and pasta; simmer until greens are fairly tender, 10 minutes. Add the reserved meatballs, cover, return to a simmer and cook 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.