Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup.  Just the name evokes thoughts of over-the-top Italian affairs, with miles of food and a Venetian hour that would make any diabetic go into a sugar coma just from looking at it.

Italian weddings in New York are a sight to be seen.  If you've ever watched "My Sweet Sixteen" or any of the wedding shows, then you are familiar with what I'm talking about.

Everything is over the top, extravagant and then maybe just a little more...   I was invited to an event of this magnitude last year and let me tell you, it was AWESOME.  They even had someone making cotton candy...

Although these affairs are a sight to behold,  I doubt that was what someone had in mind when this recipe was born.
Its origins actually have nothing to do with weddings at all, but with the "marriage" of meat and greens.  There are hundreds of variations of this soup, but the one common thread is meat (usually in the form of tiny meatballs) and greens.

This happens to be one of my favorites, as it covers most of MY major food groups (meatballs, noodles & veggies) and as is the case with all meals of this sort, you will have leftovers for lunch the next day.


Wedding Soup

• turkey meatballs
• 10 - 12 cups chicken stock
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 5 oz pkg. baby spinach
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
• 1/2 pound thin noodles
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. First, make the meatballs.  Brown them in batches over medium-high heat and set aside.  Don't worry if they aren't cooked all the way through,  they will finish cooking in the soup.
2. Add olive oil to a large stock pot and allow to heat up over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until translucent and soft, then add carrots & celery.  Season with salt & pepper.
3. Cook for a few minutes until vegetables begin to soften.  Add garlic, stir to combine and then add meatballs.
4. Pour the stock in and let it come up to a simmer.  Season again with salt & pepper.
5. Add the spinach and stir to combine as you are adding it.  It will look like too much initially, but spinach wilts down to nothing.
6. Add the noodles and continue to let it simmer.
7. Whisk eggs with 2 tbsp of the Parmesan cheese and add to the soup while stirring.  It will form ribbons of cheesy egg goodness.
8. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle a little Parmesan on top for garnish.

Mangia!