Originally I thought this was a soup commonly served at weddings in Italy.  No, this soup is actually Italian-American and it is named so because the ingredients are a “marriage” between vegetables and broth, between greens and meat.  Classically it contains kale, spinach, chard or other green leafy vegetable and a meat or sausage.  

I have recently started teaching cooking classes to my patients, and I love this soup so much I had to share it, despite the time it takes to make.  Although it can take you an hour to prepare, the flavors get better on day 2 and 3, and provide many hearty lunches or dinners for the rest of the week.  I usually make a double batch on Sundays in preparation for the weeks chaos to come.  If you are short on time, you can substitute store bought meatballs, although be careful with those if you are watching your salt intake.  Packaged and pre-made meats tend to be full of sodium.   If you have a picky family or young children at the table, you can serve the basic broth and let the kids add their own grain, spinach, cheese and meatballs to the soup so everyone can have it just right! 

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP:

YIELD: 6 PORTIONS       TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 T olive oil

• 1 cup onion, diced

• 1 cup celery, diced

• 1 cup carrot, diced

• 1 T garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 6 cups chicken broth

• 2 t dried oregano

• 1/2 t red pepper flakes

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 recipe Italian mini meatballs

• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 cups fresh spinach

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

• Parmesan for garnish

Mirepoix or what my mom always called the "holy trinity": Carrots, onions and celery in equal portions as the basis for most any soup or sauce.

ITALIAN MINI MEATBALLS:

• 1/4 cup unseasoned fresh bread crumbs

• 1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

• 4 T chicken broth

• 2 T chopped flat leaf parsley

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 t dried Italian seasoning

• 1 t garlic, minced

• 1 t kosher salt

• 1/2 t ground black pepper

• 1/4 t red pepper flakes

• pinch nutmeg

• 1/2 lb ground meat of choice (I usually use turkey)

METHOD:

For the soup:

1. Saute onion, celery, carrot and garlic in 2 T olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, until soft, 10 minutes

2. Deglaze pan with wine and simmer until liquid has nearly evaporated, about 3 minutes.

3. Add chicken broth, oregano, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes

4. Take this time to put together the meatballs: Stir all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Form small meatballs using a small spoon or melon baller and place on lined baking sheet and chill until ready to use.

5. Drop raw meatballs into simmering soup and cook gently until they float, 3-4 minutes. You can pre-cook them or choose pre-made.

6. Add beans, spinach, parsley and cook until spinach wilts, just 2 minutes

7. Garnish soup with Parmesan

You can choose to drop these into your simmering soup as the recipe mentions, or pre-cook the meatballs in a saute pan and set them aside for guests to add as they so desire.

This soup freezes very well, for up to 6 months!

NUTRITION INFORMATION (per 1 1/4 cups)

Calories 265 / Carbs 22g / Fiber 19.6g / Fat 9g/Saturated fat: 2.5g / Protein 20g / Sodium 839g / Sugar 4g / Potassium 1460mg