Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

Our version of a traditional recipe.

For the meatballs:

  • 1/2 lb ground beef

  • 1/2 lb ground veal, pork or turkey

  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs (commercial, or grate your own from stale Italian bread)

  • 1 egg

  • 1 T parsley, finely chopped

  • 1/2 clove garlic, minced (optional)

  • 1/2 tsp paprika (optional)

  • 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste

For the soup:

  • 4 cups chicken broth

  • sauteed finely chopped onions and celery and grated carrot

  • 2 cups spinach, chopped

  • 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

  • OPTIONAL: Orzo - small grains of pasta shaped like barley.

Large soup pot, baking sheet.

COMBINE the ground meat, bread crumbs, egg, parsley, minced garlic and salt and pepper in mixing bowl. Mix well with a fork and form into tiny meatballs (shown are about the size of a golf ball, but traditional meatballs are a bit smaller) with your hands.

PLACE meatballs on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes at 350F, until brown. (See ALTERNATE, below)

Saute finely chopped onions and celery and grated carrot, add the chicken broth to a boil, add the spinach and cook until tender. Add the meatballs and return soup to a simmer. Stir in the Pecorino cheese and serve.

ALTERNATE: you can sauté the meatballs in olive oil until brown

 

 

 

 

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

Printed from COOKS.COM

 


 

Chicken broth

4 chicken breasts, skinless

1 onion, cut in half

1 carrot

Celery tops

2 tsp. salt

6 qts. water

In large kettle combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken, cook and cut into small pieces. Strain broth and return to kettle. Add to broth - 2 ribs celery, cut small; 2 carrots, grated; 1 onion, diced; 8 chicken bouillon cubes. Simmer 30 minutes, then add to broth: 1 head endive, cleaned and shredded and par boiled 1 minute in salted water; drain. Add cubed meat and meat balls. Before serving, while soup is simmering add very slowly: 2 well beaten eggs to soup. Stir constantly. Serve with flavored croutons.

WEDDING SOUP MEATBALLS:

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

2 tsp. dried parsley

1/4 c. cheese, grated

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Sprinkle of garlic powder

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. basil

1 egg

2 slices bread, soaked in milk (sm. amount)

Mix all ingredients together and shape into 1/2 inch balls. Drop into pan of boiling water 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Add to Italian wedding soup along with cured chicken as noted in previous recipe.