suemunzlinger's Recipe

Italian Wedding Soup

Category: Soup and Salad

Ingredients

1 large egg, beaten
8oz extra lean ground beef (or turkey)
2 Tablespoons dried parsley or 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons dried Italian bread crumbs
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and diced (1/2 cup)
1 large celey rib, diced (1/2)
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
fresh spinach Chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup acini di pepe or orzo pasta
32 oz of low sodium chicken broth

In a bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add beef, parsley,breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese and pepper. Mix just until well blended.

Shape mixture into 1/2-1 inch meatballs.

In a pan, heat the oil over medium heat and add meatballs. Cook until brown on all side. (May have to cook a few at a time but do not overcrowd them in the pan or they will steam and not brown)

With a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs and add the carrot, celery, and onion to the oil in the pan. Cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender, stirring once in a while.

Put the chicken broth, meatballs and vegetables, into a large pan. Heat on medium- high until boiling. Lower the heat to simmer about 10 minutes.
Add the spinach and pasta and cook about 5-7 minutes until pasta is tender.
Sprinkle more parmesan cheese on soup when served.
Serves 4

(Bec and Rae had great fun helping make the meatballs when they were little. It still is one of their favorite soups.)