I don’t know about your neck of the woods but it is freezing here in Texas and all I can think about is a big bowl of soup to warm me from the inside out. Honestly, I could eat soup 365 days a year with a slice of piping hot buttery cornbread. My family thinks soup is an appetizer and they stand around the kitchen waiting patiently for the second course. I tell them they better ladle up two big bowls because my kitchen is closed.

Italian Wedding Soup is a hearty soup that sticks to your bones. It is super nutritious and so scrumptious. Best of all, this recipe is easy and takes little time to prepare. Serve it with some cornbread or crackers, snuggle up in a throw and you will be toasty in a snap.

Enjoy,

MJ

Ingredients:

Meatballs-
1 lb. ground chicken
1 lb. Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cups of bread crumbs
2 tsp. minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tbs. chopped fresh parsley leaves plus extra (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan plus extra for serving
3 tbs. milk
1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup-
2 tbs. olive oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots)
1 cup diced celery (2-3 stalks)
2 1/2 (32 oz.)cartons of chicken stock (80oz.)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cups of small pasta (orzo)
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 oz. baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, 3 tbs. Parsley, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a large mixing bowl. Combine gently with a fork. With a spoon, form approx. 1/4 – inch meatballs with hands (wet hands to keep the mixture from sticking) place meatballs on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly brown. Set aside.
In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and sauté until softened, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 6-8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and remaining parsley and cook for 1 minute, until spinach is wilted. Serve with cornbread.