ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

The greatest soup ever made! The greatest soup ever made, that’s quite a statement and it’s debatable, and though I’m saying this I know that it may not be, but everyone has their own taste and though I love any number of other wonderful soups, which includes – Vietnamese Pho, Chinese Roast Duck & Wonton, good old American Chicken Noodle Soup and others, if I was forced to pick one as my # 1 very favorite soup of all, it would have to be this, Italian Wedding Soup. So if it’s not the World’s greatest soup of all (Vietnamese Pho maybe) then it is without question one of the greatest anyway. And how can it not be great, made of tasty chicken broth with escarole and the thing that puts it into the greatness category, the little Meatballs? An Italian Soup that has Meatballs in it, what’s not to love? Well, I guess it depends who you ask, but if you ask an Italian-American, guess what? “Italian Wedding Soup is the greatest soup of all!” The combination of fresh homemade chicken broth, with pieces of chicken, escarole and of course those yummy little meatballs that every Italian holds so dear, that’s Italian Wedding Soup, and the first bowl I ever had, wow! I was a little boy and my mom made it for us. “Here Daniel, Italian Wedding Soup, it has little meatballs in it,” Mommy said as she placed the bowl of soup down before me. I couldn’t believe my eyes, little meatballs in soup, what could be more magical to a young boy of just five? Yes, I remember that first bowl, and I don’t know how many hundreds of bowls of this most pleasing soup I’ve had since then, too many to count. Al, oh so tasty. It’s the Meatballs, it’s Italian Wedding Soup and there’s not any soup that’s better. I just love it. How about you?

MOMMY’S ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

Recipe :

1 & ½ pounds ground Beef

1 cup grated Parmigiano

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

1-3 lb. Broiler Chicken

6 whole cloves garlic, peeled

10 cups water

1 medium Onion, peeled and chopped

2 Carrots, peeled and chopped

1 head Escarole, finely chopped

4 ounces Ditalini or other short pasta

PREPARATION:

Combine the ground beef, eggs, parsley, minced garlic, and Parmigiano. Season with salt & black pepper. Shape into Meatballs, about the size of a large Marble. Set aside.

Place whole chicken, with the onions, carrots, whole garlic, bay leaf, and water in a large pot and bring to the boil. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Cook the Ditalini according to directions on the package. Drain and set aside until later.

Place meatballs in a lightly oiled baking pan and cook in a 350 Degree oven for 6 minutes.

Remove chicken from the pot and set aside to cool.

Remove chicken meat from bones and dice. 

Add the meatballs, diced chicken, and pasta to the broth and simmer at the lowest flame for 12 minutes. 

Add escarole and cook for 10 minutes at medium heat.

Ladle soup into bowls, giving everyone at least 5 little meatballs. Pass the Parmigiano and Mangia Bene.

Note: You can substitute Sausage for the Meatballs, which is how some people make this soup. It’s just as tasty and cuts down on some of the work. If doing so, substitute 1 /2 pounds of Italian Sweet Sausages for the meatballs. Lightly brown the links of sausage over low heat for 6 minutes. Remove from pan and cut each link into 6 equal size pieces, then add to soup in the same point (step 6) and cook over low heat in soup for 12 minutes.

This Recipe has been Excerpted from Daniel Bellino’s Bestselling Italian Cookbook – SUNDAY SAUCE

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