Ingredients: |
Ingredients: Meatballs
8 oz lean ground beef
8 oz ground pork
1/2-3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 slices of white bread
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/8 cup minced fresh basil
1/2-1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 large egg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 tablespoons cooking oil
Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups 1/4-inch diced carrots
3 diced yellow onions
8 cloves garlic , minced
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
2 bullion cubes
3 Bay Leaves
1 bunch fresh parsley
10 cups of chicken stock or bone broth
1 cup dry acini de pepe or orzo pasta
6 ounces fresh spinach , chopped - optional
Finely shredded parmesan , for serving
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Directions: |
Directions:For the meatballs:
1. Add beef and pork to a large mixing bowl. Add in bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, parmesan, egg, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Gently toss and break up mixture with hands to evenly coat and distribute.
2. Shape mixture into very small meatballs, about 3/4 inch to 1 inch and transfer to a large plate.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook until browned, turning occasionally (to brown on 2 or 3 sides), about 4 minutes total.
4. Transfer meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels while leaving oil in skillet.
--Repeat process with remaining meatballs (note that meatballs won't be cooked through at this point, they'll continue to cook through in the soup).
For the soup:
5. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, and onions and sauté until veggies have softened about 6 - 8 minutes, add garlic and sauté 1 minute longer.
6. Add chicken to stock pot and sauté on each side for 4 minutes.
7. Pour in chicken broth, bullion, bay leaves, and fresh parsley and season soup with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour, until the chicken if fully cooked.
8. Remove chicken, parsley, and bay leaves. If adding chicken back to soup, debone and remove skin first.
9. Add in pasta, meatballs, and cooked chicken (if you are using it) to the soup. Reduce heat to light boil (about medium or medium-low).
10. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender and meatballs have cooked through, about 10 minutes, while adding in spinach during the last minute of cooking.
11. Serve warm, sprinkle each serving with parmesan cheese. |
This recipe for Italian Wedding Soup is from