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Italian Meatball and Greens Soup
PAIR WITH
Olive and Prosciutto Rolls
(PAGE 163)
Roasted Garlic Focaccia
(PAGE 142)
This is a simple Italian recipe that is elegant enough to trot out for company, but takes less than 35 minutes to put together. As with most Italian dishes, the ingredients are simple, so you should use the very best to make the soup a success. If you have homemade chicken broth, this is the place to use it, though store-bought broth will work, too. As for the greens, I use a boxed blend of sturdy salad greens (arugula, tatsoi, baby kale, and baby Swiss chard leaves). If you can’t find such a blend, chop up some Lacinato kale or escarole, or use a bag of baby spinach
.
SERVES
4 TO 6
ACTIVE TIME
15
MINUTES
TOTAL TIME
35
MINUTES
7 cups [1.7 L] chicken broth
(see page 17)
One 2-in [5-cm] chunk Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind
1 bay leaf
1 large egg, beaten
3 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1
1
/
2
tsp finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1
/
3
cup [30 g] panko bread crumbs
1 lb [455 g] ground dark-meat turkey or sustainably raised ground veal
3 cups [60 g] baby kale, Swiss chard, arugula, and/or baby tatsoi greens, loosely packed, chopped
1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F [220°C].
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2.
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth, cheese rind, and bay leaf to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer while you bake the meatballs.
3.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, parsley, garlic, oregano, lemon zest,
3
/
4
tsp salt, and
1
/
2
tsp pepper.
Add the bread crumbs and stir until they are moistened.
Add the ground meat and stir thoroughly to combine (I prefer to do this with clean or gloved hands to make sure everything is well blended).
Form the mixture into thirty meatballs (about 1
1
/
4
Tbsp each) and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake until the meatballs are nearly cooked through but still a little pink in the middle, about 12 minutes.
4.
Transfer the meatballs to the soup, leaving any extra fat behind on the baking sheet.
Add the greens to the soup, cover, and cook until they are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
5.
Discard the cheese rind and bay leaf, ladle the soup into bowls, and serve immediately.
GET AHEAD:
The meatball recipe doubles easily, and the meatballs freeze well. Bake a double batch on two baking sheets. Freeze half of the par-baked meatballs until firm. Transfer the frozen meatballs to a zip-top plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To use, add the frozen meatballs to the soup as directed, adding 10 minutes to the simmering time. Cut a meatball in half to make sure it is heated through, or test with an instant-read thermometer to make sure they have reached 160°F [71°C]. The meatballs are also delicious simmered in marinara sauce and served with pasta.