Italian Wedding Soup
This Italian Wedding Soup is a great comfort food to enjoy when it’s cool outside. Easy to make, it's a lovely recipe to add to your folder.
Ingredients
MEATBALLS
- 1/3 cup milk, lukewarm
- 2 slices bread, torn into small pieces
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed see Recipe
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup Grana Padano cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped tips & tricks
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1/2 tbsp. Italian seasoning see Recipe
- 1/4 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
SOUP
- 2 tbsp. olive oil tips & tricks
- 2 cups white onions, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced tips & tricks
- 1 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or to taste and divided
- 1 large clove garlic, pressed
- 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1 cup ditalini rigati pasta
- 4 cups fresh spinach, stems trimmed and roughly chopped if needed
- 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice tips & tricks
- 1/4 cup grated Grana Padano cheese, or as needed for garnish
Directions
MEATBALLS
- In a small pot over medium heat, add milk and heat it until just warm.
- Add bread pieces to the pot and stir until the milk is all absorbed.
- Transfer to a bowl to cool off.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with foil. Place a rack over and spray it generously with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large bowl, add beef, hot Italian sausage, beaten egg, cheese, parsley, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and the bread mixture. With clean hands, mix the ingredients until very well combined.
- Roll the meat mixture into small meatballs, about ¾-inch to 1-inch and place them on the prepared rack.
- Transfer them to the preheated oven and bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.
SOUP
- Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add chicken and beef broth, wine, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil.
- Add pasta, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- A few minutes before the pasta is done, add the meatballs and spinach. Stir, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until the spinach is wilted; taste and adjust if necessary.
- Stir in lemon juice before ladling the soup into warm bowls and sprinkle on some grated cheese.