Name: Italian Wedding Soup
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Italian, Europe
Ingredients: 1 onion, chopped; 1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped; 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed; 1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed; 4 ounces ground pork; 4 ounces 85 percent lean ground beef; 1 bay leaf; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth; 2 cups beef broth; 2 cups water; 1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces; 5 tablespoons heavy cream; 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 4 teaspoons finely grated onion; 1/2 teaspoon finely grated garlic; Salt and pepper; 6 ounces ground pork; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 6 ounces 85 percent lean ground beef; 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano; 1 cup ditalini pasta; 1/2 pound kale, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (6 cups)

Italian Wedding Soup

Published on November 4, 2012

Time

1½ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Broth

1 onion, chopped1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed¼ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed4 ounces ground pork4 ounces 85 percent lean ground beef1 bay leaf½ cup dry white wine1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce4 cups low-sodium chicken broth2 cups beef broth2 cups water

Meatballs

1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces5 tablespoons heavy cream¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese4 teaspoons finely grated onion½ teaspoon finely grated garlicSalt and pepper6 ounces ground pork1 teaspoon baking powder6 ounces 85 percent lean ground beef2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano1 cup ditalini pasta½ pound kale, stemmed and cut into ½-inch pieces (6 cups)

Before You Begin

Use a rasp-style grater to process the onion and garlic for the meatballs. Tubettini or orzo can be used in place of the ditalini. It's unnecessary to temp the meatballs because they will reach a food-safe temperature if cooked according to the recipe instructions. (For more information on food safety, check out this guide.)

Instructions

for the broth

Heat onion, fennel, garlic, porcini, pork, beef, and bay leaf in Dutch oven over medium-high heat; cook, stirring frequently, until meats are no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add wine and Worcestershire; cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, beef broth, and water; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

for the meatballs

While broth simmers, combine bread, cream, Parmesan, onion, garlic, and pepper to taste in bowl; using fork, mash mixture to uniform paste. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat pork, baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt on high speed until smooth and pale, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Add bread mixture, beef, and oregano; mix on medium-low speed until just incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Using moistened hands, form heaping teaspoons of meat mixture into smooth, round meatballs; you should have 30 to 35 meatballs. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl or container, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Wipe out Dutch oven and return broth to pot. (Broth can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Skim off fat before reheating.)

Return broth to simmer over medium-high heat. Add pasta and kale; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add meatballs; return to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through and pasta is tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.