This hearty soup would be good to make on a leisurely weekend afternoon, when the aroma wafts through your house, whetting the appetite of everyone who smells it. Not on Tuesday night when you’re trying to get dinner on the table, talk on the phone with your mom and do a few loads of laundry in between chopping greens and rolling meatballs.
Beth, my sister and tonight’s guest eater didn’t complain that dinner wasn’t ready until 10. But she sure scarfed it down. (And I noticed later there were gnaw marks on her arm.)
It seems there are as many ways to make wedding soup as there are people who make it. I looked at several recipes online before creating my own:
Wedding Soup with Dandelion Greens and Endive
Wedding Soup—the pasta sank to the bottom
For the soup:
1 bunch dandelion greens, chopped in large pieces
1 head of endive, chopped in large pieces
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stalk
1 quart (4 cups) water
1 parmesan rind or a cup of grated parmesan
1 cup acini di pepe or other small, wedding-soup-appropriate pasta
There are only so many ways to entertain yourself while rolling tiny meatballs. Making a pyramid is just one.
For the meatballs:
1 pound ground turkey, chicken or beef
1 small onion, chopped finely
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
chopped fresh parsley, to taste
dried Italian seasoning, to taste
dried hot pepper flakes, to taste
Simmering the greens
Combine broth and water in large pot. Add cheese, and bring to simmer. Add greens and let simmer for about 30 minutes.
In the meantime, combine all meatball ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or your hands. Roll in half-inch balls if you have the patience. Mine increased in size with my appetite.
After you’ve finished with the meatballs and the greens have simmered for half an hour, add the pasta and cook for 9 minutes or according to the package instructions. Gently add the meatballs with about three minutes of cooking time last—these go last because they cook in no time. Note that if the onions aren’t chopped finely enough, they’ll escape into your soup.
When the meatballs are done, it’s finally ready!
Beth, tonight's guest eater, enjoys the soup
Besides the taste, one of the best things about this soup is leftovers. After our late-night dinner, we had enough for four lunches, and more to freeze for a rainy day.
