Italian Wedding Soup

This recipe is another winner from the Barefoot Contessa. It's a great broth-based soup full of veggies, pasta, and delcious little meat balls. I served with garlic toast and the left-overs were even better!

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

3/4 lb. ground chicken

1/2 lb. Italian sausage

2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs

2 tsp. minced garlic

3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 tbsp. milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

Kosher salt and black pepper


For the soup:

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup minced yellow onion

1 cup 1/4-inch diced carrots

3/4 cup 1/4-inch diced celery

8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup small pasta (I used small bowtie)

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

7 oz. baby spinach, washed and trimmed


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.


For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, Italian sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl. Mix gently with a fork until well combined. Form the mixture into 1- to 1 1/4-inch meatballs and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.


In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken broth and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6-8 minutes or until al dente. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 additional minute. Taste for seasoning, and adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.


Source: adapted from Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics by Ina Garten