My family's hearty Italian Wedding Soup is filled with flavorful beef and pork meatballs, tiny pasta pearls, aromatic vegetables, and greens. This is a cozy, one pot recipe that feels like a warm hug on a cold night.
1 to 1-½sliceswhite bread, crusts removed and discarded and bread torn into small pieces (about ¾ cup bread pieces)*
2tablespoonsmilk(whole or 2%)
1smallyellow onion, grated on a box grater (about ⅓ cup)**
1largeegg, lightly beaten
½cupgrated Pecorino Romano cheese
⅓cupchopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1teaspoonkosher salt
pinchfreshly-ground black pepper
½poundground beef(85%/15%)
½poundground pork
Soup
2tablespoonsolive oil(not extra virgin)
1cupdiced yellow onion(¼ inch dice)
1cupdiced carrot(¼ inch dice)
¾cupdiced celery(¼ inch dice)
12cupschicken broth or stock***
1mediumrind from a block of Parmigiano Reggiano
¾cupdried acini di pepe pasta
1headescarole(about a pound), washed well and roughly chopped
kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
In a large bowl, make a panade by combining the bread pieces and milk, letting it stand for 5 minutes to absorb. Mash the mixture with a fork until it forms a fairly smooth paste.
Stir in grated onion, egg, Pecorino Romano, parsley, salt, and a pinch of black pepper until well combined.
Add beef and pork and mix until just combined (for tender meatballs, don’t over-mix). Cook a teaspoonful of the mixture in a skillet on the stove to test for seasonings and, if needed, add additional salt, cheese, and/or pepper to taste. (The meatballs should be well-seasoned for the best flavored soup.)
Portion the meatball mixture into 1-½ teaspoon portions (about ¾ inch diameter). To more cleanly shape the meatballs, dampen your hands with a bit of water before rolling. Set the meatballs aside.
Make the Soup
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering.
Add half of the meatballs and lightly brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan to a plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs. (Note that the meatballs will not be cooked through and will finish cooking in the soup.)
Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add carrot, onion, and celery with a pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are beginning to soften, 5-8 minutes.
Pour chicken broth or stock into the pot, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add meatballs back into the pot with any accumulated juices, and the Parmigiano Reggiano rind.
Bring the soup to a boil and stir in the acini di pepe. Reduce heat, partially cover the pot, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
Remove the cheese rind from the pot and discard. Add the escarole and simmer, uncovered, until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Skim excess fat from the top of the soup with a spoon (the amount released will depend on the meat you used).
If needed, season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Top with additional grated parmesan, if desired, and serve hot with slices of crusty Italian bread for dipping.
Notes
*We usually use Maier's Italian-Style white bread from the grocery store in our meatballs, which is soft and not too dense. Any similarly soft white bread will work to make the panade.**The grated onion will be juicy, but if it throws a copious amount of liquid (which can happen if the box grater is dull), drain some of it off so the meatball mixture isn't too moist to hold its shape when rolled.***I typically use homemade chicken broth, or a high-quality regular variety from the grocery store. If you prefer to limit the salt content in the soup, choose low sodium broth or stock and season the soup to taste.