Description
Grandma’s italian wedding soup blends classic Italian flavors with unexpected ingredients. Comfort meets creativity in this hearty bowl of warmth you’ll savor with pure delight.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) ground beef
- 2 qts (1.89 L) chicken broth
- 1 cup (236 ml) orzo or acini de pepe
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced into circles
- 1 bag baby spinach or escarole
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsps fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsps olive oil, for frying
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Meatball Preparation: Mix ground meat with herbs, breadcrumbs, and seasonings, forming small, uniform spheres roughly quarter-sized with delicate precision.
- Searing and Browning: Heat olive oil in a heavy pot, creating a golden caramelized exterior on meatballs by evenly searing each side, then transferring to a separate plate.
- Flavor Foundation: Sweat onions until translucent in residual oil, add carrots, and incorporate minced garlic to develop a robust aromatic base.
- Broth and Simmering: Pour chicken broth into vegetable mixture, add bay leaves, and gently reintroduce seared meatballs, allowing them to simmer and absorb surrounding flavors.
- Pasta and Spinach Integration: Drop pasta directly into simmering liquid, cooking until tender. Layer fresh spinach leaves on top, covering briefly to encourage delicate wilting and seamless incorporation.
- Final Refinement: Remove bay leaves, adjust seasoning to taste, and serve the soup piping hot, showcasing the harmonious blend of Italian-inspired ingredients.
Notes
- Meatball Mastery: Ensure meat mixture is not overmixed to maintain tender, light texture; use cool, wet hands when forming meatballs for smoother shaping.
- Searing Technique: Brown meatballs in batches to prevent overcrowding, which can lead to steaming instead of caramelizing; maintain medium-high heat for perfect golden crust.
- Flavor Building: Layer aromatics progressively – onions first, then carrots, followed by garlic – to develop a complex, rich flavor foundation without burning delicate ingredients.
- Pasta Perfection: Add pasta towards end of cooking to prevent overcooking; choose small pasta shapes like orzo or acini di pepe that complement the soup’s delicate structure.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg