Italian Wedding Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/2 lb ground chuck
• 1/2 lb ground lamb
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 egg
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups fresh spinach, cleaned, stems removed and cut into strips
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon bouquet garni
• 1 teaspoon chicken soup base or 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 4 ounces orzo pasta or 4 ounces small shell pasta
• 1/4 cup grated romano cheese or 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 for the meatballs, combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix until well-blended.
• 2 form into tiny meatballs, about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of meat per meatball. bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees f. for 30 minutes.
• 3 meanwhile, bring the stock to a low boil and add the spinach. cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• 4 add the meatballs to the hot stock along with the garlic, bouquet garni and soup base (or bouillon cube).
• 5 add the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
• 6 stir in the cheese and serve immediately.
• 7 note that the meatballs can be made ahead of time, just heat them in the stock until heated through.