Italian Wedding Soup

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 25 minutes
• total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

8 oz. lean ground beef

8 oz. ground pork

1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs* (from fresh bread not dried)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano (or 3/4 tsp dried)

1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan

1 large egg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/4 cups chopped carrots

1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion

3/4 cup chopped celery

4 cloves garlic, (minced, 1 1/2 Tbsp)

5 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup dry acini di pepe (or orzo pasta**)

6 oz fresh baby spinach, (roughly chopped)

Finely shredded parmesan, (for serving)

Directions

For the meatballs:

Add beef and pork to a large mixing bowl. Add in bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, parmesan, egg, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Gently toss and break up mixture with hands to evenly coat and distribute. Shape mixture into very small meatballs, about 3/4 inch to 1 inch and transfer to a large plate.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook until browned, turning occasionally (to brown on 2 or 3 sides), about 4 minutes total.

Transfer meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels while leaving oil in skillet. Repeat process with remaining meatballs (note that meatballs won't be cooked through at this point, they'll continue to cook through in the soup).

For the soup:

While meatballs are browning, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onions and celery and saute until veggies have softened about 6 - 8 minutes, add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.

Pour in chicken broth, season soup with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture to a boil. Add in pasta and meatballs, reduce heat to medium-low.

Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender and meatballs have cooked through, about 10 minutes, while adding in spinach during the last minute of cooking.

Serve warm, sprinkle each serving with parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

• Calories: 396 kcal
• Total Fat: 20 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Cholesterol: 85 mg
• Sodium: 362 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 25 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 4 g
• Protein: 29 g