One Pot Italian Wedding Soup

Yummy!  This is one of the best soups I have ever made...seriously!  I love chicken vegetable soup and I love meatballs, so this is like combining everything that is great about them both.  The kids LOVE it because of the mini meatballs, plus you are sneaking extra veggies into their diet.  Normally, my toddler wouldn't be caught dead eating onions, tomatoes, celery, or spinach; however, if I put them in a soup he seems to scarf them right down - no questions asked.  Weird, right?  My husband  really enjoyed this recipe too.  And since the meatballs cook right in the broth, it makes for such a great one pot meal!  Add a salad or some crusty bread if you want, but I felt no need.  Incredibly delicious and easy enough to make during the week!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Happy Cooking!
Sarah

1-Pot Italian Wedding Soup
recipe is an original recipe based on these two internet finds:
http://www.marthastewart.com/313104/light-italian-wedding-soup
and
http://bevcooks.com/2011/12/weeknight-italian-wedding-soup/
 For the soup:
2 T olive oil
1 cup each of chopped onion, celery, carrot
2 - 32oz containers of chicken broth or stock
1 - 15 oz can of diced tomatoes in juice
1 - 10oz bag of baby spinach
1 cup of uncooked orzo pasta
salt & pepper to taste

For the meatballs:
1 lb of ground turkey (93% lean or leaner)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (and some more for serving if so desired)
1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped
salt & pepper to taste


 Chop your veggies while waiting for a large pan to heat over medium heat.

Add the olive oil and veggies.  Season with salt to taste (optional) and stir.  Cook for 10-15 min or until soft.

Here's a picture of the veggies when they are cooked enough to move on:

Now add the can of diced tomatoes and all the juices, along with both containers of broth.  Stir and allow the liquid to come to a slow boil over medium or medium high heat.

Now it's time to make the meatballs.  They will cook in the soup broth, so all we have to do now is mix them up and get them ready to add once the soup had come to a boil.

Mix together all of the meatball ingredients EXCEPT for the turkey itself.  This way you ensure that all the seasonings, breadcrumbs, and eggs are evenly distributed before you add the meat.  (It also helps to ensure a more tender meatball since you won't have to mix it as much once you add the meat).

Add the turkey and mix just until combined - do not overmix (for same reasons I already stated). 

Using a tablespoon, form mini-meatballs for the soup and place them on wax paper until ready to cook.  I ended up with about 35 mini-meatballs. You can see the size of them compared to my spoon (that's just your run-of-the-mill soup spoon).

Once the soup has come to a small rolling boil, as pictured below...

add the meatballs and allow them to cook in the broth.  This will also flavor the soup more.   When you first add them, they will sink to the bottom of your pot.  Over time (about 15-20 min), they will rise to the surface and begin to float.  This means they are cooked through (much like ravioli). 

Add your baby spinach and continue to cook until wilted.

Once the spinach has wilted you can add the uncooked pasta directly to the pot. 

Continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender.  The soup is now ready to serve!

I turned off the heat and allowed it to cook off for about 20-30 minutes before eating, but it is so incredibly delicious!

Here's a picture of my son's bowl of soup that he scarfed right up! 

I prefer a little bit of grated parmesan cheese on top of mine, but that is totally optional.  Enjoy!!!