Italian wedding soup

Photo: Budget Bytes

Little sausage meatballs, greens, tiny pasta. Beth prices out every ingredient, and this whole pot costs about what one bowl costs out.

From Beth Moncel at Budget Bytes · @budgetbytes

Little Parmesan and sausage meatballs simmered in an herby chicken broth with carrots, celery, tiny pasta and spinach.

You need

• 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (for the meatballs)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 lb ground Italian sausage
• 1 large egg
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (for the soup)
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup small pasta (pearl couscous, acini di pepe or orzo)
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• Chopped parsley, to serve

How to make it

1. Mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, sausage and egg. Roll into small meatballs, about 1 inch.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and brown the meatballs in batches. They don't need to cook through. Set aside.
3. In the same pot, cook the onion, garlic, carrots and celery until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Italian seasoning.
4. Add the broth, scraping up the brown bits, and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs and the pasta and simmer until the pasta is tender and the meatballs cooked through, about 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the spinach until it wilts. Taste for salt, top with parsley and serve with more Parmesan.

Written in our own words from Beth Moncel's recipe, with their quantities. The original: Italian wedding soup, Budget Bytes.

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