Italian Wedding Soup
Makes 10 servings
Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 pound Italian sausage (turkey or pork), casing removed
2/3 plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 small onion, grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons milk
1 large egg, slightly
Kosher salt
Coarse-ground black pepper
Soup
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces (about 1 cup)
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4 inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
12 cups chicken stock (homemade or store-bought)
1 head escarole, cored, washed and coarsely chopped
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
3/4 pound fusilli pasta, cooked
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Crusty bread for serving
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
For the meatballs, place the ground turkey, sausage, bread crumbs, Parmesan, onion, parsley, garlic,
milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and gently mix until combined. With a
small scoop or teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto the baking sheet. (You should have
about 40-50 meatballs.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Drain and
set aside.
Meanwhile, make the soup. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed pot or
Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the escarole and simmer until wilted
and cooked, about 3 minutes. Stir in the meatballs and shredded chicken, and cook for 1 minute.
Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Divide the cooked pasta among soup bowls, and ladle soup into the bowls. Sprinkle each serving
with grated Parmesan and serve with crusty bread.