Soup Du Jour...

It's mid July, it's averaging 100 degrees across the country, kids smell of sunscreen and chlorine, yet Hobby Lobby has Christmas decorations out. Let's embrace it and make soup, shall we? Soup knows no season in our house. Not interested? Just pin now and make it in October. You'll be glad you did!

My friend, Liz (yes, she's a great writer and no, she hasn't written since November and yes, it's unacceptable), made this one night when we invaded her house for girls' night and it has been a staple in my kitchen since. It's a legit Italian wedding soup recipe passed down from her Italian friend. It's authentic, y'all! You won't be sorry.

Italian Wedding Soup

Meatball Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
3 oz breadcrumbs
½ c Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt

Soup Ingredients:
100 ozs chicken broth
2 bags baby spinach (which is about 8 cups)
½ tsp crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp garlic, minced (if desired)
5 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Additional Ingredients:

Acini Di Pepe noodles

*My store only carries this brand

Instructions:

Mix all meatball ingredients by hand (side note: this completely grosses me out. Raw meat makes my skin crawl. But I do it for this soup.) until fully combined. In a large stockpot, heat 2-3 Tbsp olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pot) and add small meatballs. Meatballs should be small enough that you can roll two at a time… about the diameter of a quarter. Gently stir as you add to ensure they don’t burn. Cook until all meatballs are browned. Add crushed red pepper and additional garlic. Add chicken broth and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes – stirring occasionally. Add spinach and cook for 25 minutes, or until spinach is very tender. Stir in cheese and season with salt if needed.

*When you add in the spinach you can begin to cook the Acini Di Pepe noodles. They take about 10 minutes.

The finished product is delicious and hearty. I often serve it with warm french bread or ciabatta bread which is wonderful for dipping. Enjoy!