Italian Wedding Soup (my fav)

This is one of my favorite soups.  Meatballs, pasta, spinach, herbs, yummy stock- what else could you want in a meal?  Furthermore, it’s easy to make and the meatballs can be made ahead of time, so it’s not as time consuming as you think.  Enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

For the meatballs

1 lb ground lean turkey (or ground lean chicken)

½ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons milk

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

For the soup

Olive oil or cooking spray

1 medium onion, small diced

1 cup carrots, diced

1 cup celery, diced

9 cups chicken stock

¾ cup small pasta (any cut you like)

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

10 oz. baby spinach, washed and stems removed

Preheat oven to 350

For the meatballs, place ground turkey (or chicken), panko, garlic, parsley, crushed red pepper, cheese, milk, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and combine gently with a fork or your hands.

With a teaspoon or small ice cream scoop, drop 1-1 ¼ inch meatballs on a sheet pan layered with parchment paper.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned and cooked through

For the soup, heat olive oil or cooking spray over medium heat in a large soup pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until softened.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Add the pasta and cook for about 6-8 minutes, until the pasta is tender.

Add the dill and meatballs and lower the heat to simmer.

Taste for salt and pepper and add more if necessary.

Add the spinach and cook until it is just wilted, about a minute.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese