Italian Wedding Soup
Italian wedding soup got its name from an Italian phrase si sposono bene. There are many meanings to this traditional Italian soup. Spinach represents money, tortellini represents unity (the wedding banc) and its overall meaning is “marital occasion.”
Soup Ingredients
4lb whole roasted chicken
1 package of fresh spinach
1 package cheese tortellini (or small pasta shapes)
1lb ground turkey (or chicken)
Salt and pepper to taste
Meatball Ingredients
1 large egg
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped onion
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1lb Meat (Turkey or Chicken Chopmeat with this soup. For moistness, add 1/2 cup of water to the mixture.)
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Place chicken in a large pot and fill it with water. Cover chicken with water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Simmer chicken for about 2 - 3 hours. Keep an eye on the water as it will evaporate.
2. Meatballs - add the ingredients to a large bowl and blend well. With a teaspoon, scoop out the mixture and form it into a ball. Place the meatballs on a cookie sheet covered. Bake at 325 for about 10 minutes. Put meatballs aside.
3. When the chicken is done, discard it from the pot and place it in a colander; allow it to sit and cool down. Add your meatballs and spinach to the chicken stock. In another pot, boil water and cook your pasta.
4. While your pasta is cooking, shred your chicken into bite-size pieces and place it into a separate bowl. Discard the skin and throw it away. Pour soup into a bowl, add your pasta (any amount you want). Stir well and serve with Italian bread. Top with Parmesan cheese.
Tips and warnings:
*Place cooked pasta in the bowl of soup. Don’t add pasta to the soup pot as the pasta will expand and get soggy when left over night.
*You could add some chicken if you like (not traditional) or save it to make homemade chicken salad.
*Don’t cook the meatballs in their entirety as they will continue to cook in the soup.
*You can use other pasta shapes besides tortellini: try pastina, ABC’s, Orzo, Stars, and other fun shapes.
Vegetarian/Vegan Options:
*Use Vegetable stock or make your own. Discard chicken and try making vegetarian meatballs. Add spinach and pasta of your choice.