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Italian Wedding Soup is a long time family favorite, something I grew up on. When we became adults, as the fall weather would start to descend, my sisters and I would get together on a Saturday, late morning, to share some quality time and make this soup together for lunch. We continued to do this on many Saturdays through the winter. But then I got married and moved to another state.
When we first got married and I made it for my husband, he thought this was the food of the gods! Then he stopped eating meat. (Arrgghh! My whole cooking repertoire at the time revolved around meat!) I've mentioned it here before but I can now get him to eat it on the rare occasion if I use organic meat.
I would very happily share this family staple mixed with lots of memories with you.
1 small whole chicken
2 long stalks of celery, cut into 6 pieces
15 oz. whole tomatoes, undrained & hand crushed in a bowl (can sub a can of petite diced)
Place all of the above in a pot with 4 quarts or so of water and boil to make stock. (Do not season.) Turn off heat and remove cooked chicken to a plate to cool. Discard celery stalks.
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/3 to 1/2 c. grated parmesan
1 large egg
salt, pepper, garlic
Mix together and roll into meatballs the size of marbles. Pull meat off of the cooled chicken and tear into bite-sized pieces. Set both aside. Return stock to a boil and add:
1/2 lb. orzo or acine de pepe pasta
You'll be tempted to add more, but don't or it will take over your soup and absorb all your broth. Boil for about 5 minutes or so, stirring frequently. Drop the little meatballs in carefully so as not to splash yourself. Wait a moment to stir so they don't break apart. Stir gently and frequently (because the pasta is still in there cooking.) The meatballs will start to float to the top as they cook through but the pasta still won't be very evident. (Have patience...it will be!) Stir the chicken pieces back into the stock. Lower heat to low-medium and stir in:
15 oz. can of chopped spinach, undrained
(I've also started adding a handful of frozen chopped spinach. I used the canned because I want the juice to flavor my stock.)
In cup or small bowl,hand beat well:
2 large eggs
Add a few large spoonfuls of the broth to the beaten eggs and stir to temper. Then slowly drizzle into the broth while stirring continuously.
Simmer about 5-10 minutes. It's important to keep stirring frequently because it is very heavy with ingredients at this point and will stick to the bottom and scorch if you don't. Taste and stir in just a little salt. (Not too much because of the way it is served.)
Turn off heat and spoon into bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese. Great with a nice crusty bread and a glass of your favorite wine on a cool evening.
This pot will feed probably six to eight people very well. Since there is only the two of us, I transfer the remaining soup to a bowl on the counter to cool completely and then refrigerate. It does freeze well, too. The pasta will continue to absorb the broth in the fridge, so keep a little chicken broth on hand to reconstitute when reheating instead of using water so you don't dilute the flavor.
It seems like a lot of work, and it can be until you get the rhythm of making it, but it is soooo worth it.
Hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we do.
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