Italian Wedding Soup

Wedding soup actually means the “marriage” of meat and greens. There are many wonderful versions of this soup so feel free to vary it as you wish. I purchased a batch of my favorite turkey meatballs, rather than making them from scratch. Instead of the traditional step of simmering the meatballs in the broth, I baked them in the oven. I made the soup a day ahead in preparation for a birthday lunch. Once the soup was done cooking, I stored each soup component separately – the broth, the meatballs and the pasta. This prevents the noodles from soaking up all of the broth. Often the soup is tastier the next day too! I served the soup with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese, a leafy green salad and a loaf of crusty bread.

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Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 12-24 small meatballs I baked (raw) turkey meatballs, but you can purchase meatballs already cooked.
• 1 cup orzo or small sized pasta
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
• 4 large carrots roughly chopped (1-2 inch pieces)
• 4 celery stalks roughly chopped (1-2 inch pieces)
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 inch piece of parmesan rind optional
• 3 stalks fresh oregano leaves
• 3 cups curly or Tuscan kale
• Kosher or sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Bake the meatballs: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet. Bake the meatballs for 20-30 minutes (depending on their size) or until cooked through and lightly browned. The internal temperature of turkey meatballs should reach 165 degrees F. Remove the tray from the oven and set the meatballs aside to cool.
• Make the pasta: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, following the package instructions. Drain the water and place the pasta into a bowl. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt while it's still hot, to avoid clumping. Set the pasta aside to cool.
• Make the soup: Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté until softened, stirring often, about 8-10 minutes. Add in the garlic. Stir in the chicken stock. Add the rind of the parmesan cheese to the soup (this adds a ton of flavor). Add the oregano leaves and the kale and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for another 12-15 minutes. (*If you're serving the soup right away then add the cooked meatballs and the cooked pasted when you bring the soup to a boil.) Taste the soup and then season with salt and pepper.
• The soup and its components can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, re-heat the soup with the noodles and the meatballs. Garnish the soup with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

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