Italian Wedding Soup

By RoketJSquerl

Leave it to the Italians to have so many types of incredible soup. This takes a bit more time to prepare but your efforts will be well rewarded. My recipe will have you thinking that you are channeling an Italian grandmother you didn't even know you had!

Ingredients

• Meatballs:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup onion-chopped
• 1/2 cup celery-diced
• 1 cup carrots-diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic-minced
• 1 teaspoon rosemary-finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 cups chicken broth **see note**
• Prepared meatballs-recipe follows
• 1/2 chicken-cooked and shredded
• 2-15 ounce cans cannellini beans-drained and rinsed
• 2 cups fresh Kale-chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil julienned
• 1 cup dried pasta-small shape
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 pound ground chuck
• 1/4 pound ground pork
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan-grated
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup fresh basil-chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon grated onion
• 2 cloves garlic-minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pinch nutmeg

Details

Adapted from gonnawantseconds.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a large soup pot, saute onions, carrots and celery until soft. Add garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, dried oregano, fresh rosemary, salt and black pepper. Add chicken stock and simmer on low. Meanwhile make the meatballs. 2. Stir together all ingredient except meat until well combined. Add meat to mixture. Form meatballs into the size of small cherries. These meatballs are SUPER flavorful and if they are too big they overwhelm the soup. 3. Add the meatballs to soup and simmer for 15 minutes. Add shredded chicken, beans, kale and basil and cook until greens are cooked. Add cooked pasta and cook until heated through. 4. In a separate small bowl, whisk eggs. Add about 2 cups of hot soup to bowl, while continuing to whisk. Add egg mixture to soup and stir to incorporate. Garnish soup, if desired, with shredded Parmesan and serve. ENJOY!!! **note** I made my own chicken broth by simmering a whole chicken and adding 2 whole cloves of garlic sliced in half, 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, 1 sliced onion, 1/2 cup basil, and 1 teaspoon salt simmered for about 1 hour or until chicken is falling off the bone. I then split the chicken in 1/2 and used half of a chicken in this soup and reserved the other 1/2 for another purpose.