Camille’s Cooking: Italian Wedding Soup

BY CAMILLE ORRICHIO LOCCISANO

September is moving along quickly, and very soon the leaves will start to fall as a light and welcoming chill touches the air around us.  This means it is time for us to indulge in warm soup, and Italian Wedding Soup is always a crowd-pleaser.

Contrary to what many would think, the name of this soup did not develop due to a presence at the happy occasion of marriage. I have never seen Italian Wedding Soup served at an Italian wedding, and I have been a guest at countless such events.

Rather, it is called wedding soup because the ingredients, to many Italians, are a perfect marriage of meat and vegetables in a light and pleasing broth.

In my recipe, I use ground beef for the meatballs. However, you can substitute ground chicken or veal, and it will be flavorful. You can also add spinach along with the escarole. I use acini de pepe which is a small round pasta, but you can certainly use any small pasta of your choice.

Italian Wedding Soup

 

Meatballs

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 pound of ground beef

1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

1 egg

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

 

In a large bowl, mix bread crumbs, ground beef, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, egg and parsley. Press garlic cloves through a garlic presser and add to mixture. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Roll into baby meatballs. In a large soup pot, warm olive oil over medium heat and brown the meatballs. Remove meatballs and set aside.

Soup

1 medium onion, diced

2 teaspoons chicken base

2 cups fresh escarole, cleaned and chopped

2 1/2 quarts chicken stock

4 cups water

1 cup Pecorino Romano grated cheese

Acini de pepe (small round pasta)

In the same large soup pot used to brown the meatballs, add onion to the drippings and cook until tender. Mix in chicken base and allow to dissolve well. Add escarole and stir as greens start to wilt down into the onions.

Pour in the chicken stock and water and simmer for 30 minutes. Add meatballs and allow to simmer another 15 minutes. In a second pot, boil water for the acini de pepe. When water begins to boil, add salt liberally. Let water return to a boil. Add acini de pepe, and cook until al dente. Drain and add to soup along with Pecorino Romano cheese.