Italian Wedding Soup
I love Italian Wedding soup but I had never made it until recently and what a shame because it's literally my easiest soup recipe. I make a double batch of meatballs and freeze half so it can be done in no time at all! I found this recipe on Pinterest (via Good + Simple) and it claims to be the "best Italian Wedding soup ever." Quite honestly, I wouldn't disagree. Plus, I use lean beef and pork so that it's a healthy-ish meal that feels like an indulgence. Serves 8.
Ingredients
Meatballs
1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup breadcrumbs or panko (use what you have)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
8 oz. lean ground beef
8 oz. lean ground pork
Soup
12 cups chicken broth (I prefer Trader Joe's organic)
1 box frozen chopped spinach
1/2 to 3/4 cup Acini de Pepe or other tiny pasta (really depends on how much pasta you like, use less if you like it with a lot of broth)
2 tablespoons parmesan (optional)
Instructions
Meatballs:
Stir the onion, parsley, egg, garlic, salt and breadcrumbs in a large bowl to blend. Then add the cheese, beef and pork and mix. It's easiest to do this with your hands.
Shape the meat mixture into meatballs and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper (for easier clean up). I like tiny meatballs, but you can make them any size you want. HINT: Double the recipe and put one of the wax paper lined trays in the freezer until meatballs are frozen. Then put them in a ziplock bag and freeze again for the next time. It makes the second round of soup so much easier!
Soup:
Bring the broth and frozen spinach to a boil in a large pot.
Add the meatballs (uncooked) and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they don't stick. If you doubled the meatballs and end up using frozen ones, you don't even have to defrost them. Just add them frozen and cook for a few additional minutes. If they are tiny, they cook fast.
Add the pasta and continue cooking at a low boil until both the pasta and meatballs are cooked, approximately 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving.
