Italian Wedding Soup

Dad’s Italian Wedding Soup recipe, with some modifications:- Chicken cooked with herbs and spices- Pork and beef used instead of turkey for meatballs- Meatballs seared

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 lemon slices
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 1 cup plain white bread crumbs
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the stock

• 1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs), cleaned out and rinsed
• 1 yellow onion, quartered
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut in half
• 2 celery stalks, with leaves and cut in half
• 1 head of garlic, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 5 stems fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns (substitute freshly ground pepper otherwise)
• Water to fill pot

For the soup

• 1 16oz box dry orzo pasta
• Shredded whole chicken (see above)
• 64oz chicken stock (see above)
• 21oz San Marzano crushed tomatoes
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 2 heads fresh escarole, washed and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For serving

• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil, chiffonade cut

Directions

1. Make the stock:
2. Place the whole chicken in a large pot, followed by water, vegetables, lemon slices, and spices. Set burner on high and cover. Once water comes to a boil, reduce to simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
3. Take chicken out of the pot and remove and shred all meat. Put carcass, skin, and bones back in, and let stock simmer for another 2 1/2 hours. Keep the pot covered to avoid the stock reducing, add more water if needed at any point.
4. Strain stock through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl for later. Roughly 64oz will be needed for the soup. Excess stock can be stored in the fridge for 3 days, and in the freezer for 6 months.
5. Make the soup:
6. Combine the ground meats in a large bowl, followed by the breadcrumbs, eggs, basil, cheese, herbs, and salt/pepper. Mix well and form into 3/4-inch meatballs.
7. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pot large enough for the soup, over medium-high heat. Brown all the meatballs (don’t fully cook) and place on a paper-lined baking sheet to absorb some of the oil. Leave oil in skillet for later. Set meatballs aside.
8. Sauté the carrots, onions, and celery in the same pot until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
9. Pour in the stock and turn heat to a low simmer for a few minutes, then add the crushed tomatoes and escarole. Cook escarole for about 40 minutes.
10. Add the chicken and meatballs and mix well. Once the meatballs rise to the top after a few minutes, add in the pasta. The soup is done once the pasta is soft and meatballs are fully cooked.
11. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with freshly grated cheese and basil.