Meatballs aren't complicated to make less you start making them with a half a teaspoon measuring spoon. half a teaspoon - let that sink in... SO many little meatballs that gradually got bigger and bigger the longer I browned them. The recipe said to brown them and but not to cook them all the way. Andy walked by, snagged on and popped it in his mouth. Instantly I said, "that's not a good choice!" He spit it out "Um... that's raw." Yeah... no kidding!! Ha! The longest part of this recipe was certainly making the meatballs. Next time I'll make them the day before and brown them up. That'll make the cooking time way faster. I tried to find the tiny pearl pasta but failed - I used Orzo instead. As the pot sat while we ate, the orzo got bigger and bigger! Kind of funny to watch them swell.
I thought this soup would be a winner with my kids - meatballs! But it was a soup - so not so much. They did eat it - just slowly. If it were Chicken Keiv soup - it would have been gone in a heartbeat.
Andy and I decided this was a good recipe - worth making again for sure! Perhaps another soup for our Soup Sunday line up!
Italian Wedding Soup
Meatballs:
1/3 cup grated parmesan (or shredded)
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon onions powder
3 cloves garlic, grated
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon half and half (or milk)
1 egg
1 1/4 pounds ground chicken (or veal or turkey)
Soup:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups mirepoix (equal parts chopped onions, carrots, celery)
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup acini di pepe (or orzo)
5 ounces baby spinach, chopped
zest of 1 medium lemon
Meatballs: Add all the meatball ingredients except the ground chicken in a bowl. Use a fork to mix everything together. Add the ground chicken to the bowl and mix using a spatula until *just* combined. Don’t overwork the meat here. Shape a 1/2 tablespoon of meatball mixture into a ball between your palms and place on a plate. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Sear the Meatballs: this is an OPTIONAL STEP but it does as more flavor to the soup. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of the oil to the skillet and 1/3 of the prepared meatballs and let them sear for 1-2 minutes (flipping as needed to sear all sides). You don’t want to cook the meatballs, just develop color. Place on a large plate, set aside.
Soup: Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mirepoix and saute the veggies for 4-5 minutes or until the veggies soften a bit, add the garlic during the last 30 seconds and stir until fragrant. Add the chicken broth along with a cup of water and allow the soup to come to a boil before adding in the pasta. My pasta box said 9 minutes total. During the last 5 minutes or your pastas cooking time, gently add the meatballs to the soup. To help regain a simmer quickly, kick the heat up to high. Test the pasta for doneness, then turn off the heat, stir in the baby spinach and lemon zest. Taste for seasonings and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Meatballs:
1/3 cup grated parmesan (or shredded)
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon onions powder
3 cloves garlic, grated
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon half and half (or milk)
1 egg
1 1/4 pounds ground chicken (or veal or turkey)
Soup:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups mirepoix (equal parts chopped onions, carrots, celery)
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup acini di pepe (or orzo)
5 ounces baby spinach, chopped
zest of 1 medium lemon
Meatballs: Add all the meatball ingredients except the ground chicken in a bowl. Use a fork to mix everything together. Add the ground chicken to the bowl and mix using a spatula until *just* combined. Don’t overwork the meat here. Shape a 1/2 tablespoon of meatball mixture into a ball between your palms and place on a plate. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Sear the Meatballs: this is an OPTIONAL STEP but it does as more flavor to the soup. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of the oil to the skillet and 1/3 of the prepared meatballs and let them sear for 1-2 minutes (flipping as needed to sear all sides). You don’t want to cook the meatballs, just develop color. Place on a large plate, set aside.
Soup: Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mirepoix and saute the veggies for 4-5 minutes or until the veggies soften a bit, add the garlic during the last 30 seconds and stir until fragrant. Add the chicken broth along with a cup of water and allow the soup to come to a boil before adding in the pasta. My pasta box said 9 minutes total. During the last 5 minutes or your pastas cooking time, gently add the meatballs to the soup. To help regain a simmer quickly, kick the heat up to high. Test the pasta for doneness, then turn off the heat, stir in the baby spinach and lemon zest. Taste for seasonings and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
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