Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:
½ lb ground beef

½ lb mild Italian sausage

1 large egg

¾ cup freshly grated parmesan reggiano

⅓ cup panko crumbs

3 tbsp fresh finely chopped parsley

3 tbsp fresh finely chopped basil ( about 1 package or 10-15 leaves)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp coarse ground black pepper

½ tsp red pepper flakes

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for frying

For the Soup:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion diced

4 medium to large carrots thinly sliced diagonally

4 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp Italian seasoning’

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp coarse ground black pepper

8 cups chicken broth ( or 8 tsp better than bullion chicken paste in 8 cups of water)

1 ½ cups pearl couscous or orzo pasta

3 cups fresh spinach chopped

For Serving:

Crusty bread

Fresh grated parmesan reggiano

Preparation:

Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, add the ground beef and Italian sausage, egg, parmigiano reggiano, panko breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Use clean or gloved hands to mix until well combined. Form the mixture into meatballs about the size of a marble; 60-70 small meatballs total. 

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once oil is hot, add the meatballs in batches, spacing meatballs about ½ inch apart and brown on all sides, a few minutes total. Use a spoon or tongs to carefully transfer meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside. Add more oil, if necessary, between batches, and repeat with the remaining meatballs. Meatballs will finish cooking in the soup, so do not worry if they aren’t fully cooked.

Make the soup: In a large dutch oven or pot, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add in the onions and carrots and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. Next, stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning and salt, and sauté, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth and stir until well combined. Use a large spoon to gently drop in a few meatballs at a time until they are all in the pot. Add the pearl couscous or orzo. Bring the broth to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. During the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the chopped spinach and cook until wilted, then remove soup from the heat.

Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed, then ladle soup into bowls and top with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. Serve warm with crusty bread or toasted bread for dipping.