Italian Wedding Soup
Servings 8
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Large Dutch oven
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tbsp yellow onion diced finely
- 2 tbsp Asiago cheese shredded
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 egg well-beaten
- ¼ cup garlic and herb bread crumbs
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Soup:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- 3 carrots diced
- 2 stalks of celery diced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules or chicken base
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- 8 cups of chicken broth
- 1 cup of star-shaped pasta
- 10 oz baby spinach
Serving:
- Asiago cheese grated for topping
- Fresh parsley chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the mini meatballs by combining all the ingredients gently with your fingers until well mixed. Roll into small meatballs.
- Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper that has been coated with olive oil cooking spray.
- Bake the mini meatballs for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Prepare the soup by heating the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 60 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the chicken bouillon granules, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and chicken broth. Simmer for 45 minutes over low heat.
- Finish the soup by turning the heat up to medium-high, then add the stars and meatballs; cook for an additional 10 minutes. Taste and re-season if needed.
- Add the spinach, mix thoroughly, and ladle into serving bowls. Top with Asiago cheese and fresh parsley. Enjoy.