Italian Wedding Soup
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cooking Time
20 minutes
Total Time
45 minutes
Serves
6-8
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving
- 1 large egg
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- Nonstick cooking spray
Soup
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more for serving
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 14 oz. can beef broth
- 1 cup pearl couscous or small pasta
- 5 oz. baby spinach
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 450ºF with the oven rack in the upper third of oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the beef, sausage, parmesan, parsley, egg, garlic, panko, salt, and pepper until well combined. Form the mixture into about 40 (1/2-inch wide) meatballs. Lightly spray the foil-lined baking sheet with nonstick spray and arrange the meatballs in a single layer.
- Bake the meatballs until they are firm to the touch, 6 to 8 minutes. Increase the heat to broil. Broil the meatballs until browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
- For the soup: In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and celery, and cook until the vegetables start to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Gradually stir in the salt, pepper, chicken broth, and beef broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and add the couscous. Cover and cook 8 minutes or until the couscous is just tender.
- Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, 1 minute. Stir in the meatballs and cook until the meatballs are warmed throughout, 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Serve the soup in bowls, and top with additional parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and black pepper.
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