Italian Wedding Soup

For the Soup:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 3-4 carrots peeled & diced
• ½ fennel bulb cored and diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• ½ cup white wine dry or semi-dry
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 10 cups low-sodium chicken broth homemade, if available
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/8 crushed red pepper flakes
• ¾ cup pearl couscous Ditalini or other small pasta
• 12 ounces baby spinach kale or escarole, rough chopped
• 4 ounces skinless smoked sausage or kielbasa cut into ¼” cubes, opt.
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the Meatballs:

• 1/3 cup dried breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• One pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons whole milk or cream
• ½ pound ground pork chicken or turkey
• ¼ pound sweet Italian bulk sausage
• ½ pound lean ground beef 85% lean

For the Soup:

• Add oil, butter, onion, carrots and fennel to a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Cook the vegetables until the onion is translucent and all vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
• Add wine, scraping any flavorful bits stuck to the pan with a wooden spoon.
• Add Worcestershire Sauce, chicken broth, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, couscous (or other pasta), spinach (or other greens), smoked sausage, and the browned meatballs (see below for how to make or use store bought). Stir gently and bring mixture to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 30-60 minutes or until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Add ¼ cup Parmesan and chopped parsley, stir well.
• Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.
• If desired, add a little freshly squeezed lemon juice and stir.
• Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan cheese.
• Enjoy!

For the Meatballs:

• See *Note for making ahead.
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients except pork, sausage and beef. Mix well. In another bowl, mix the 3 meats until blended. Add the meat mixture to the breadcrumb mixture and gently mix until well blended. Shape the meat into 1-inch meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Cook the meatballs just until lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes. Wipe off excess fat from the meatballs and transfer them to the soup.

• The meatballs can be formed, covered on the baking sheet, and refrigerated, up to two days before using.
• You can also use pre-made frozen meatballs if you’d prefer.
• Make the soup in a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot. It will disperse the heat more evenly so you won’t get hotspots that can burn the bottom.
• If you don’t want to use wine, you can substitute this for an extra bit of stock.