Baked chicken meatballs, basil pesto and shaved Parmesan cheese raise the flavor profile of this beautiful Italian wedding soup recipe. This flavorful noodle soup is a family favorite!

Duration

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Servings: 8 Servings

Ingredients

MEATBALLS

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
• 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

SOUP

• 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups yellow onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups petite carrots, sliced
• 1 1/4 cups celery, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
• 12 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
• 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 12 ounces baby spinach, stems removed (or baby kale, chopped)
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 pound short-cut pasta
• 1 1/2 cups shaved Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Chicken Meatball

• Adjust oven rack to the center position. Heat oven to 400 F.
• Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl. With a spoon or spatula, mix everything together.
• Use a small stainless-steel scoop (or clean hands) to form 35 chicken meatballs. Place the pieces on a lined baking tray, leaving a bit of space between each.
• Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until oven baked meatballs are golden and done.

Soup

• In heavily salted water, boil the pasta al dente according to package instructions.
• In a large heavy pot, saute onion in olive oil over medium/high heat for about 5 minutes or until the onions begin to caramelize. Reduce the heat to low. Add the carrots, celery and herbs to the pot. Saute for another 5 minutes. Add the pesto, lemon juice and broth. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
• Stir the spinach into the soup so that all leaves are completely submerged in the broth. Simmer another 5 minutes so the leaves can wilt. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the meatballs and noodles to the pot. If desired, add a light drizzling of olive oil over the top.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with shaved Parmesan and wedges of fresh lemon.

Note:

CHICKEN MEATBALLS: Increase the flavor profile by using 3/4 pound ground chicken breast and 1/4 pound ground chicken sausage (breakfast sausage or sweet Italian sausage, no casings). Consider doubling the recipe for these flavorful chicken meatballs.  It’s hard to resist snacking on a few before the soup is even done!

NO TIME FOR MAKING MEATBALLS? Saute a pound of ground Italian chicken sausage (no casings) with the onions!

SPICE IT UP! Add a tablespoon of healthy turmeric for a lovely golden broth. A sprinkling of red pepper flakes adds a pleasant touch of heat to this rustic Italian soup.

BRIGHTEN THE FLAVOR OF THE BROTH with a few extra squeezes of fresh lemon juice!