Italian Wedding Soup
This lovely Italian soup is studded with mini sausage meatballs, orzo pasta, and fresh vegetables simmered in a savory broth. It's absolutely Delizioso!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- MEATBALLS :
- 1 lb. pkg. mild Italian sausage de-cased
- 1/4 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 tsp. fennel seeds crushed or chopped
- 1 T. fresh Italian parsley minced
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- SOUP :
- 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 med. onion finely diced
- 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
- 1 tsp. dried sage leaves
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 med. carrot finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery finely chopped
- 8 c. chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 oz. orzo pasta cooked
- 1 c. spinach roughly chopped
- 1/3 c. shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix all of the meatball ingredients together with your hands and roll into small meatballs, the size of a marble.
- In a large pot, cook the orzo al dente, according to package directions, drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, prep the vegetables.
- In a large pot, sauté the onions, thyme and sage in olive oil. When the onions starts to turn a golden color; add garlic, carrot and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour vegetable mixture into a large bowl or onto plate and set aside.
- In the same pot, add the meatballs, gently toss with a rubber spatula to brown on all sides. Do this in 3 batches. You may need to add a little more olive oil to the pan in between batches.
- Add meatballs, reserved vegetables, chicken stock, and bay leaf to the pot. Simmer gently, (do not boil) until vegetables are tender and meatballs are cooked through.
- Add cooked orzo and spinach, gently stir to combine. (Adding spinach right before serving will help it maintain its rich green color).
- Divide among serving bowls and garnish with shredded parmesan cheese.
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