Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup - Seriously Soupy

I recently saw this Italian Wedding Soup recipe on The Kitchn and instantly knew this was my next Soupy experiment. Since I never tried or prepared this soup, I was excited to test out what was described as being "simple to prepare, but has enough flourishes." I also learned that a variation of this Italian-American soup was also wildly prepared in Spain with a variety of meats that are boiled and shredded.

I used the recipe as a base - especially as I attempted a new technique (cooking an egg into the soup) and a fun way to prepare meatballs (adding cheese to the meat then cooking it). This really enhanced the flavors of the stock and of course the meat itself. The recipe also used hearty kale (can also use with spinach, endive, escarole, etc) and the delicious flavorings of oregano, basil and thyme - that made for the perfect winter soup.

Italian Wedding Soup

Recipe from The Kitchn
Serves 6-8
3/4 pound ground organic meat (chicken, turkey, pork or beef)
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken stock
1 bunch greens trimmed and torn into bite-sized pieces (about 6 lightly packed cups)

Directions:
Combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of each cheese, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, then form the mixture into 3/4-inch to 1 1/2-inch balls. You should have 20 to 30 meatballs, depending on how large you form them.

In large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Add the meatballs in batches, and cook, turning, until browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes. (If they are still a bit pink in the middle, don't worry, they will continue to cook in the broth.) Set them aside on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

In a 4 to 6 quart soup pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until onions are tender and garlic is soft, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the greens, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 eggs and remaining cheeses in small bowl and stir with a fork to blend. Slow pour the egg mixture into hot soup, stirring constantly. Cover and simmer just until egg bits are set, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, maybe even a squirt of lemon juice, and serve immediately in a low bowl if possible so the meatballs are visible.

To re-heat, simmer gently over low heat.