Italian Wedding Soup--The simple way

Italian Wedding Soup is a white soup with everything you need in there--after all soup is the ultimate one-pot meal.

Soup in general should always have a base of carrots, celery, onion and garlic.  Trust me.  ALWAYS have those items on hand.

For Italian Wedding soup--and soup in general its about feel when you are making it, real feel of how you think it will taste best at the time.  I find a glass of wine before, during and after makes the feel just that much better when throwing it together. 

Also, use your kids to make the meatballs--because who wants that texture in their hands?

Here's how you do it:

Put about a pound of ground beef (I use low fat ground beef because I am about to tell you to add sausage.)  in a big bowl.  Add some bread crumbs--about three quarters the amount of ground beef, and some Parmesan Cheese--if you did not buy the bread crumbs that already have cheese with it. Now add a package of Italian Sausage.  I like sweet here--but you can use mild or hot, its up to you.  If you get the packages with links, cut the casing off and put the meat in the bowl. 

While you are putting that in the bowl--your kids should be washing their hands.  Once their hands are washed and dried--show them the size of meatball to make.  I like about a quarter or half dollar sized sphere.

Go wash your hands because playing with meat and sausage is disgusting--your kids will like it though.

Peel about 2-3 carrots, dice one large onion, slice two or three stalks of celery, and crush about 3 cloves of garlic--put that all in your stockpot on medium, medium-low.    Grind some salt on it (to taste) and a little black pepper.  The salt here is not only a flavoring here--it is going to make the veggies melt and saute a little faster.  Saute That mix for about 5 minutes.

Here's where you can change this up a little--Italian Wedding Soup usually has Spinach or some other leafy green in the soup itself.  I like Napa Cabbage.  It's the German in me.  And I suppose the Californian.  If you choose spinach, don't put it in just yet--but if you use a hearty green that needs some 'wilting' put it in now.  I use about a quarter of a large head--because I loves me some cabbage.

Once the hearty leaf veggie has cooked for about 3 minutes--just a little softer than normal--add some Chicken Stock.  You are going with Chicken stock here because it make a lighter soup.   I add almost two of those quart containers and a little water so it's not so salty.

Bring that to a boil.

By this time your kids should be done making those meatballs.  Put the meatballs in one by one, and gently stir.   Then add about a cup of tiny pasta.  maybe a half cup...its up to you.   Now Make your kids wash their hands again.  Eeek.

Let it all cook together until the meatballs are done--and the pasta is done, and you are pouring your third glass of wine--might I suggest a nice Red?


Once its all boiled--check  a corrot make sure its done--that is the veggie that is going to take the longest to cook, so if it's done your soup is ready. 

...and pour some more wine...