Italian Wedding Soup with Orzo and Mini Meatballs
Serves 6
30 mins prep
30 mins cook
60 mins total
This Italian wedding soup brings together all the parts I love most — tender, bite-size meatballs, little pasta shapes, a broth that tastes like it’s been simmering all afternoon (even though it only needs about 20 minutes), and just-wilted greens.
For the meatballs
For the soup
cupdried soup pastasuch as orzo, acini de pepe or pastina
ozbaby spinachor other greens like escarole, chopped Swiss chard or kale
Freshly grated Parmesan cheesefor serving
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Prepare the meatballs
Stir together ¼ cup dried breadcrumbs and ¼ cup milk in a small bowl - it will quickly form a paste.
Put 1 pound ground beef, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 large beaten egg, 1 teaspoon grated or finely chopped garlic, ½ teaspoon granulated onion powder, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley in a large bowl. Add the breadcrumb mixture and season with ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and a few good grinds of black pepper. Mix with a large fork or your hands until everything is evenly distributed.
Form the meat mixture into 1-inch balls (I use a cookie scoop like this one) and arrange them on a lightly oiled tray. Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in the meatballs in batches, cooking for 3 minutes. Scoop them out to a clean tray. Drain off any liquid that exudes.
The raw meatballs can be refrigerated up to 1 day before making the soup, and the par-cooked meatballs up to 2 days.
Make the soup
Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup chopped onion, ½ cup chopped carrot, ½ cup chopped celery, and 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic. Cook the vegetables until they're softened, stirring frequently, 5-7 minutes.
Pour 8 cups chicken broth into the pot and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a simmer and cook 15-20 minutes.
In a separate pan, boil 1 cup dried soup pasta in lightly salted water 5 minutes, or half the time instructed on the package (it will finish cooking in the soup). Drain.
Add the cooked pasta and the par-boiled meatballs to the pot. Cook 5 minutes at a simmer — keep your eye on the heat to be sure it doesn't boil. Stir in the spinach and cook on low heat just until they're wilted.
Ladle the soup into bowls, and add some grated Parmesan over each serving.