Photo: Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 2 slices stale white sandwich bread, crusts removed
- 3/4 pound ground turkey
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus extra for serving
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Soup:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 head escarole (about 1 pound), coarsely chopped
- 8 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
- 1/2 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
For the meatballs: Grate bread on a box grater or pulse into crumbs in a food processor. Place in a large bowl with 1/3 cup cold water. Let sit until water is absorbed. Mix in ground turkey, 1/4 cup Pecorino, parsley, egg, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt and mix. Season with pepper. Gently form into 3/4 to 1-inch meatballs, using lightly floured hands. Place on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown turning occasionally. Transfer to a platter.
For the soup: Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a pot. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and red pepper and cook 3 minutes.
Stir in the escarole and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes; bring to a gentle simmer. Return the meatballs to pot, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Drizzle some olive oil and pecorino cheese over each serving.
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By stmstmstm_8562766
Richmond Hill, GA
on November 12, 2011
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I loved this recipe. I baked the meatballs for 15 min. at 425 instead of frying them. I also substituted raw spinach for the escarole. I doubled the recipe for a church function, and everybody loved it! Tonight I'm just having baked turkey meatballs for sandwiches because the meatballs are fantastic all by themselves.
By webheck
Philadelphia, PA
on December 11, 2010
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Great soup, however save yourself some time and make this dish more traditional by skipping the browning of the meatballs. After broth comes to a simmer, simple drop the balls in a few at a time and do not stir until they float to the top. Simmer an additional five minutes, add your greens and other fresh herbs and simmer a few minutes more. This results in soft, delectable clouds of deliciousness, do not be afraid of the light color; the meat's juices will be extracted into the broth. One other tip, mix your meat mixture gently with a fork instead of your hands before shaping the balls to keep them super tender.
By dimino1
on November 27, 2010
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Excellent soup! Added oregano as the flavor was a little bland without it. Also used spinach instead of escarole (sauteed with the carrots and onions to give it extra garlic flavor. As always, prepared the pasta separate from the soup (adding pasta directly to the soup pot turns the soup into a casserole in a day!.
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