Italian Wedding Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 3 teaspoons garlic (minced)
• 1 medium onion (diced)
• 3/4 cup carrot (diced)
• 10 ounces spinach (chopped frozen)
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning mix
• 2 cups pasta (small pearl like pastini)
• 2 lbs extra lean beef (i used ground chicken or turkey at times)
• 1/2 cup onion (grated)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper (to taste)

Recipe

• 1 prepare your meatballs first, mixing all the ingredients listed starting with 2 lbs ground beef and below- form into small meatballs - less than 1/2" in diameter.
• 2 place into a frying pan and cook till 3/4 done or a nice brown coating is developed.
• 3 place on paper towels to drain any fats. remove all fats from the pan and deglaze the frying pan with 1 cup of chicken stock. reserve this stock.
• 4 in a large soup pot add 1 tbsp olive oil, add onions, garlic and carrot. sauté till tender. approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
• 5 add your chicken stock, basil, italian spice and oregano. allow 10 minutes of simmer time.
• 6 add frozen spinach and allow to melt into soup. cook for 5 - 10 minutes.
• 7 add meatballs and reserved stock from deglazing the fry pan.
• 8 cook your pastini to el dente. add to soup.
• 9 serve with fresh grated parmasan reggiano cheese.