Italian Wedding Soup coupled with risoni…orzo pasta… is a match made in heaven. See what I did there? Match made in heaven…like a marriage…that begins with a wedding…wedding soup… Italian Wedding Soup with Orzo… I just can’t help myself.
The deer are eating our mums. They’ve never done this before. They’ve nibbled at our pines, grazed on our viburnums, even munched on our roses…but never our mums. You’d think they weren’t getting their fill of apples with all the trees dotting our town’s terrain…going after my sweet little mums. Not cool, deer! (Even though you’re cute!)
This calls for soup. The kind of soup that comforts from the minute you begin to gather the ingredients. I don’t know what it is – no, actually I do – but gathering the fixings for meatballs, just makes me happy. And to throw them in a soup that’s loaded with delicious greens and freshly grated Romano – well, that’s my jam. If it’s your jam, too – then you’ve come to the right place!
Let’s go!
I made a huge pot, and actually cooked the pasta right in the broth which allowed the starch (of the pasta) to thicken the soup, making it almost stew-like. If you prefer a soupier soup, which is also divine, you can cook the pasta separately and add it to the bowl as you serve, or, add more broth as you go.
Italian Wedding Soup with Orzo INGREDIENTS:
MEATBALLS –
Meatball mix: a mix of ground beef, pork and veal. Of course you can use ground beef, alone, even ground chicken is a nice substitute.
Romano cheese: freshly grated Romano is a perfect choice for meatballs. Romano, made from sheep’s milk, possesses a sharper, saltier flavor than its chum Parmigiano-Reggiano which has a nuttier, sweeter flavor. You could use Parm, too.
Fresh parsley: a perfect little pop of freshness. I always use this fresh herb in my meatballs, but if all you have is dried – that will work, too. Remember to lessen the amount of dried. Use a third of the amount the recipe calls for. Use roughly 3 Tbsp of dried for this recipe.
Fresh garlic: get a nice small mince on that.
Italian bread crumbs: they’re simply regular bread crumbs with Italian seasonings added to the mix. Regular and panko bread crumbs are fine substitutes.
Eggs: lightly mix with a fork.
Salt: I tend to cook with kosher salt, but table salt will work, too. Use half the amount of table salt.
Ground black pepper: a few good cranks will do the job.
SOUP –
Reduced-sodium chicken broth: fine substitutes…vegetable or beef broth, in a pinch – straight up water.
Escarole: spinach, kale, or endive make fine substitutes.
Carrots: a small dice will do.
Dried orzo: any small pasta that you have in the pantry will do – pastina, acini de pepe, ditalini…
Eggs
Romano cheese
Salt & Pepper
Prepared meatballs
COOK’S NOTES:
- Meatballs need to be tiny. Not as tiny as the pasta, but smaller than you’d serve with spaghetti and Sunday sauce.
- I fried a dozen or so meatballs in the Dutch oven before adding the soup ingredients and the remaining meatballs to the pot. You don’t have to, but a few fried meatballs serve to deepen the soup’s flavor. And come on – you need to eat a couple while you’re cooking, am I right?
- Depending on the type of pasta you use, cooking times may vary. This is not an al dente moment – pasta should be tender and luxurious. Test as you go, but go the distance.
- There’s no sparing on the cheese. It’s in the meatballs, it’s in the soup, I even sprinkle it on top for serving. An extra grind of black pepper doesn’t hurt, either. Delish!
Buon Appetito, my friends! Hope you love it as much as I do!
MORE POPULAR SOUP RECIPES:
Italian Sausage Soup with Sun-Dried Tomato & Oregano Tortellini
Eggplant Parmesan Soup with Homemade Garlic Croutons
Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Broccoli White Cheddar Soup with Cornbread Croutons
Escarole and White Bean Soup with Italian Sausage
Italian Wedding Soup with Orzo
Description
Italian Wedding Soup coupled with risoni…orzo pasta… is a match made in heaven. See what I did there? Match made in heaven…like a marriage…that begins with a wedding…wedding soup… Italian Wedding Soup with Orzo… I just can’t help myself.
Ingredients
MEATBALLS:
2 lbs. ground meatball mix (beef, pork, veal) or ground sirloin
1 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 plump garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 large eggs, lightly mixed
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
SOUP:
1 – 2 Tbsp. olive oil
12 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 lb. escarole, cleaned well and coarsely chopped
2 cups small diced carrots
2 cups dried orzo
2 eggs
2/3 cup grated Romano cheese, plus more
salt & pepper, to taste
prepared meatballs
Instructions
MEATBALLS:
Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Using your hands, mix ingredients together.
Shape into 1-inch meatballs (tiny). Set aside.
SOUP:
Over medium heat, add olive oil to the pot. (I use a Dutch oven).
Add about a dozen meatballs. Fry until browned and crispy on all sides.
Next, add the broth to the pot, bring to a boil.
Add the remaining meatballs, chopped escarole, and diced carrots. Cook for 15 minutes.
Add the pasta.
Simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the pasta, greens, and carrots are tender.
In the meantime, in a small bowl whisk together the eggs and 2/3 cup cheese.
Add the egg mixture to the soup slowly, stirring with a fork to break up the eggs. About 1 minute.
Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle and serve with an extra sprinkling of Romano.
Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe adapted from my original Italian Wedding Soup.
Leave a Reply