Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

Recipe from The Kitchn

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound ground organic meat (chicken, turkey, pork or beef)
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 bunch greens trimmed and torn into bite-sized pieces (about 6 lightly packed cups)

Instructions:

1. Combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of each cheese, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly, then form the mixture into 3/4-inch to 1 1/2-inch balls. You should have 20 to 30 meatballs, depending on how large you form them.
3. In large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Add the meatballs in batches, and cook, turning, until browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes. (If they are still a bit pink in the middle, don’t worry, they will continue to cook in the broth.) Set them aside on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
4. In a 4 to 6 quart soup pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until onions are tender and garlic is soft, but not browned, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the greens, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook another 5 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 eggs and remaining cheeses in small bowl and stir with a fork to blend. Slow pour the egg mixture into hot soup, stirring constantly. Cover and simmer just until egg bits are set, about 1 minute.
7. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, maybe even a squirt of lemon juice, and serve immediately in a low bowl if possible so the meatballs are visible.
8. To re-heat, simmer gently over low heat.