Italian Wedding Soup

When I first made this soup, I could not believe how good it was. It's absolutely amazing and we love it! There is so much flavor in the meatalls that it is even better the second and third day, after the flavors have time to marry.

For the meatballs:
3/4 lb. ground chicken
1/2 lb. Italian sausage (or turkey sausage)
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs (I've also used Italian bread crumbs)
2 tsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp. milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and black pepper

For the soup:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta (I used ditalini)
1-2 tsp. dill weed
1-2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, washed, stems removed and roughly chopped


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or silpat.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, Italian sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl. Mix gently with a fork until well combined. Form the mixture into 1- to 1 1/4-inch meatballs and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken broth and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6-8 minutes or until al dente. Add dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 additional minute. Taste for seasoning, and adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

NOTES:The last time I made this, I doubled the meatball recipe and froze half of them. When I was ready to make it again, I just added the frozen meatballs to the soup right before I added the pasta (bring it to a boil again after you add the meatballs, before adding the pasta). This made for an even quicker soup and just as tasty!

SOURCE:Adapted from Annie's Eats

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