Best 3 Barbaras Italian Wedding Soup Recipes

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

Steps:

• Make the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set an oven-proof roasting rack over top. Spray the rack generously with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg with the chives, sage and garlic. Add the remaining meatball ingredients and mash with your hands until evenly combined. Roll the mixture into tablespoon-size balls, about 1 inch in diameter (it will make approximately 50 meatballs), and place on the prepared rack. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, start the soup. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken broth, beef broth, water, wine, bay leaf, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, uncovered, at a gentle boil until the pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes (or according to package directions). Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Reduce the heat to low and add the spinach and meatballs. Simmer for a few minutes, until the spinach is wilted and the meatballs are warmed through. Ladle into bowls and serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months but wait until you reheat the soup to add the pasta. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until simmering, add the pasta, and cook until the pasta is tender.

THE BEST ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

Steps:

• Combine the thyme, bay, oregano and peppercorns in a 10-inch square of cheesecloth and bring the corners together to create a parcel. Tie it closed with kitchen twine.
• Stir the panko, Parmesan, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Stir in the cream, egg and half the grated garlic until completely combined.
• Combine the ground pork and sausage in a large bowl. Pull the ground meat apart with two forks as if you were shredding pulled pork, breaking up the clumps and incorporating the meat without compacting it until thoroughly mixed and no clumps remain.
• Add the breadcrumb mixture to the meat and use the same pulling technique to mix until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
• Scoop out portions of the meat mixture with a 1-ounce ice cream scoop (or use two heaping tablespoons). Roll the meat gently between your hands into balls. Arrange the balls on a rimmed baking sheet. You should have about 24 meatballs.
• Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the meatballs and cook, turning and rolling occasionally, until they are lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Remove to a plate; the meatballs will not be cooked through, just browned on the outside. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken skin-side down. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and add the onions, carrots, celery, remaining grated garlic. Season the chicken and vegetables with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up the browned bits, until the vegetables have softened slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until it's almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 8 cups water and the cheesecloth parcel and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the chicken to a plate and let cool slightly. Shred the chicken with two forks, discarding the skin and bones.
• Meanwhile, add the meatballs and pasta to the broth and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the sachet. Stir in the escarole and shredded chicken and continue cooking until the escarole is wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Serve topped with parsley and grated Parmesan.

BARBARA'S ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

Steps:

• In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook sausage, shallots and garlic over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink, 6-8 minutes, breaking up sausage into crumbles. Drain., Add broth to sausage mixture; bring to a boil. Stir in orzo, pepper and escarole; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until orzo is tender, 10-12 minutes. Stir in parsley before serving.