Italian Wedding Soup

There is nothing like a good soup - seriously. And this one was perfect to use up all of my leftover veggies and some meat that was in the freezer. This soup is a great transition from the heavy soups of Winter into something a bit lighter for Spring.

I always wondered why they call it Italian Wedding Soup because I've never seen it served at an Italian wedding! I think it must be because it's packed full of wholesome ingredients that make you want to gather around the table together, much like at a wedding.

I used this recipe from Cooking Classy's blog, but modified it a bit to incorporate what I had in my fridge, and to use the type of meat I like in my meatballs.

Meatballs

• 16 oz of your choice of lean ground beef, pork or veal (or a combination!)

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

• 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano

• 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan

• 1 large egg

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Soup

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 1/4 cups 1/4-inch diced carrots

• 1 1/4 cups diced yellow onion

• 3/4 cup 1/4-inch diced celery

• 4 cloves garlic , minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)

• 5 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 cup dry pasta (use a tiny noodle)

• 6 oz fresh spinach or kale , chopped

• Parmesan for serving

Instructions

For the meatballs:

• Add the meat mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add in bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, parmesan, egg, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

• Gently toss and break up mixture with hands to evenly coat and distribute. Shape mixture into very small meatballs, about 3/4 inch to 1 inch and transfer to a large plate.

• Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook until browned, turning occasionally (to brown on 2 or 3 sides), about 4 minutes total.

• Transfer meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels while leaving oil in skillet. Repeat process with remaining meatballs (note that meatballs won't be cooked through at this point, they'll continue to cook through in the soup).

For the soup:

• While meatballs are browning, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onions and celery and saute until veggies have softened about 6 - 8 minutes, add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.

• Pour in chicken broth, season soup with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture to a boil. Add in pasta and meatballs, reduce heat to light boil (about medium or medium-low).

• Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender and meatballs have cooked through, about 10 minutes, while adding in spinach/kale during the last minute of cooking. Serve warm, sprinkle each serving with parmesan cheese.