Italian Wedding Soup
I’ve been promising my sister-in-law this recipe for Italian Wedding Soup for weeks. It’s Friday, and this is a perfect Saturday soup or Sunday soup (I tend to like Saturday for soup-making, but I have a cookbook called Sunday Soup, so apparently that is also a thing). My mouth waters just thinking about a pot of this steaming, buttery broth with its zesty, flavorful meatballs. Oh yes. I just might have to make some this weekend myself.
Anyway. I always thought Italian Wedding Soup looked so – boring. I mean, plain broth with some greens, little pasta, and the occasional meatball floating along? But then. Then, there was Ina Garten. And she showed me the error of my thinking ways.
It was all really just a sort of accident. I didn’t set out wanting to make Italian Wedding Soup. I’d made a giant batch of these meatballs, and then I was browsing through Ina’s cookbook, Back to Basics, and she made Italian Wedding Soup look good. Really good.
Any guesses what happened to my meatballs?
So. This is my version of Ina Garten’s Italian Wedding Soup. It will make everyone at your table happy, even the folks who don’t love spinach. I know, because my people do not enjoy spinach as a rule, but they sure love this soup, spinach and all.
Italian Wedding Soup
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten
1/2 batch of my favorite meatballs
2-3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 large sweet yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
2 stalks celery, diced
2 quarts chicken stock
2-4 cups water
1/2 cup good dry white wine (not cooking wine)
1 cup small pasta – mini shells, orecchiette, ditalini, orzo, etc.
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
12 ounces chopped fresh spinach
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Directions:
Make the meatballs (or, if you have some in the freezer, defrost thoroughly) but do not cook them.
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and saute’ until just beginning to be tender and translucent.
Add the carrots, celery, and wine. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock. Bring to a low boil.
Add the meatballs, and simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Add the pasta and cook 6-8 minutes, until al dente.
Add the salt, pepper, and parsley. Taste, and add more if needed.
Stir in the spinach. Cook until bright green and wilted, about a minute.
Ladle into bowls, making sure each person has 3 or 4 meatballs. Top with grated Parmesan.
Goes perfectly with this bread (you can add a teaspoon of dried Italian herbs to the dough if you like).
Serves 6-8 people.
Enjoy!
Blessings,
Harmony