Italian Wedding Soup with Escarole

By tinar23

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup finely chopped onion (1 large)
• 1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (93% lean)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
• 1 small head escarole (8 ounces), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1 cup dried acini di pepe pasta
• Fresh oregano sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine eggs, onion, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Add ground beef; mix well. Shape mixture into forty 1-1/4-inch meatballs. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil; brown meatballs, half at a time. Drain on paper toweling.
In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine broth, carrots, dried oregano (if using), the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Gently add meatballs.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 hours, stirring in fresh oregano (if using), pasta, and escarole during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Ladle into bowls. If desired, garnish with oregano sprigs. Soup will thicken upon standing.