Italian Wedding Soup

I made this one for the Great American Community!

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 30 minutes

Serves 4-6

Meatballs

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground sausage

1 egg

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed, finely chopped

Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 ribs of celery, diced

4 cups chopped cabbage

1 yellow onion, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped

10 cups low sodium chicken broth, stock, or water

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chicken base/bouillon

4-5 cups fresh spinach

3 cups cooked short pasta

Parmesan cheese to finish

1.     In a large mixing bowl, mix all meatball ingredients and set aside.

2.     Heat olive oil in a hot soup pot over medium heat. Add all the vegetables, except spinach, and begin to sweat them down.

3.     Roll the meatballs, making sure each is about 1 inch in diameter, then set aside. You should end up with 20-24 meatballs.

4.     Add the water or broth to the soup and season generously. Bring to a simmer. Add chicken base or bouillon.

5.     Drop the meatballs into the broth one at a time, and gently leave them to simmer. Do not stir for 5 minutes to allow meatballs to set, then stir gently.

6.     Add cooked pasta. Add the spinach and allow it to wilt.

7.     After the soup has simmered 25 minutes, ladle into bowls with grated Parmesan in the bottom. Add more Parmesan on top and enjoy!