Friday, January 6, 2012

Italian Wedding Soup

Here is my first post for 2012...I have been busy already and starting my job on top of everything else. What a great start to the new year and I am one happy girl. 
I thought this recipe would be appropriate with all this cold weather we are having so I hope everyone takes some time to make a pot!  It is good for you and warms the soul! 




Ingredients:

MEATBALLS:
3/4 pound ground turkey
1/2 pound ground beef
4 ounces stale country bread, crusts removed (about 3 or 4 slices)
2 medium cloves of minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp. milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

SOUP:
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 large fennel bulb, about 1 pound, trimmed and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 head escarole, about 1 pound, cut into 1/2-inch shreds
1 bunch Swiss chard, about 1 pound, cut into 1/2-inch shreds
10 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup small pasta
1 cup cannellini beans
extra Parmesan cheese, for serving

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare meatballs:
Place ground meats, bread, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, milk, egg, basil, oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

Prepare soup:
Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large stock pot. Add onion, carrots, celery and fennel and sauté until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in escarole and Swiss chard and cook until wilted. Add the chicken broth and wine and bring to a boil. Add pasta to the simmering broth and cook an additional 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute.

4 comments:

Theresa said...

For some reason Blogger is messed up! It didn't put all the information on the post that I typed in.

SO...here is what else needs to be done. Add the beans to the pot when you add the meatballs and simmer for about 5 minutes not 1 minute! haha
Also..Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese and a little more black pepper. Serve with crusty Italian bread. Sorry about that and I hope everyone has a great day!! xoxo

Unknown said...

Blogger has been acting up a bit lately.

Unknown said...

This recipe looks great!

Theresa said...

It is MK....I am not sure what is going on with it. Makes me want to try another venue. It doesn't even show all my followers.

Please try this soup..it is amazing and good for you. Im sure Dan would love to try this seeing he is trying to eat better this year. Matter of fact. I have decided to try my hand at more healthy recipes, after today! haha