Italian Wedding Soup

Sunday afternoons usually involve planning for Monday Meals.  As I said last week, I love to bring my daughter and her husband dinner on Mondays.  When I heard we were getting yet another bout of arctic air this week, the logical choice was soup.  I had the chicken stock I made last week in the freezer and I used some of the ingredients from last nights sliders for the mini meatballs in the soup!  I was intimidated by wedding soup for a long time.  And not because I am not Italian!  It just seemed that a wedding soup recipe needed to be taught by your grandmother.  (Maybe it stems from my lack of ability to master pasta making that I figured there was too much mystery to Italian cooking!).  I went straight to the source...Giada de Laurentiis and Mario Batali.  I read their recipes, combined a few ideas and here it is:

Italian Wedding Soup
Printable Recipe

Meatballs
1 small onion grated
1/3 c. fresh Italian parsley chopped
1 large egg
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 slice of bread torn in tiny pieces
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
Pepper

Stir the first 6 ingredients together in a bowl.

Stir in the cheese, beef and pork.

Pepper to taste.  Using 1 1/2 tsp. for each meatball, roll into 1 inch meatballs and lay on a sheet pan.

Soup
12 c. chicken stock
1 carrot thinly sliced
1 lb. curly endive or escarole
2 large eggs
2 T. grated parmesan
2 c. cooked orzo pasta

Bring the broth to a boil and reduce heat.

Add the carrot, and the meatballs.  Cook for 6-10 minutes.  Add the chopped endive until wilted.

Whisk the egg and cheese together.  While stirring the soup, drizzle the egg mixture in a ribbon and stir gently with a fork to form thin strands.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cook orzo according to package directions.  Place a scoop of pasta in the bottom of a bowl and ladle soup into the bowl.

I see why this is Italian comfort food and fit for celebrations.  I was pleasantly surprised how easy this was. Honestly other than rolling the meatballs, there was not a lot involved in making this!  So much for the mystery.  I had a few rolls left from last night's sliders and it made a hot, homey meal for what is too be the beginning of a frigid week!