Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

For the meatballs

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the soup

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup dried orzo, or other tiny pasta (optional)
  • 1 bunch escarole, chopped (about 6 to 8 cups, loosely packed)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

-Prepare your meatballs. Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a bowl.

-Use a measuring teaspoon to form tiny, uniformly-sized meatballs, about 3/4-inch in diameter. Place them

onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

-Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes; flip them halfway through the cooking time so that they cook evenly.

-Remove your meatballs from the oven and allow them to drain on a paper towel while you finish making the soup.

-After you put the meatballs into the oven, begin preparing the soup.

-Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 4 to 6-quart sauce pan. Add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion

begins to soften.

-When the onions have started to soften, crush the garlic into the pan. Stir for a minute or two, until the garlic becomes

really fragrant.

-Pour in the chicken broth. Adjust the heat to high and bring to a boil.

-When the soup begins to boil, stir in the orzo. Lower the heat to a high simmer, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is

cooked al dente.

-While you are waiting for the orzo to cook, put the Romano and Parmesan cheeses into a bowl. Add two eggs and

vigorously stir with a fork to combine.

-When the orzo has finished cooking, stir the chopped escarole and the meatballs into the soup.

-To form egg ribbons in the soup, stir the soup in one direction (clockwise or counterclockwise), and while you are

stirring the soup, drizzle in the egg/cheese mixture.

-To serve, garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.