Fall season is here! So with that it marks SOUP SEASON! I absolutely love making delicious, hearty soups. They smell and taste delicious. Makes the house feel even more cozy and it's leftovers for another day or two! Can't beat that!
I remember when I used to work at Mutual of Omaha and their cafeteria had a soup station. Occasionally they would have Italian wedding soup and I was always so excited because I loved it! It was one of my favorite soups. I always wanted to make it but never got the chance to, until now. This soup is one pot goodness! It provided plenty of leftovers for our family of seven and the kids loved it! Spinach and all.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb of Italian sausage
- 1 lb of ground beef - I do 80% lean
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1//3 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Soup base:
- 1 1/2 cups diced carrots
- 1 1/2 cups diced celery
- 6 oz fresh chopped spinach
- 1 cup dry acini de pepe pasta
- 1 diced medium yellow onion
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- about 10 cups of chicken broth/stock
Combine meatball ingredients in a bowl. Make small bite size meatballs.
You will need a large pot for the soup. Heat a little bit of olive oil, about 1-2 tablespoons, on medium heat. Cook meatballs until browned on all sides. The meatballs will finish cooking in the soup. You can place your meatballs on a plate/tray to rest.
Next add another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot. Add your onions, celery, garlic, and carrots. Saute veggies for about 7-8 minutes. Until tender. Add your chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add your meatballs and the pasta. Cover and reduce to medium heat until pasta is tender and meatballs cooked through. About 10 minutes.
We love this soup with some delicious Italian bread on the side or a french baguette! It makes a large serving which is perfect for our family of seven plus leftovers!!