Whenever someone says "Italian Wedding Soup", I picture a scene straight out of The Godfather. Plenty of double cheek kisses, elaborate traditions and rites, and enthusiastic toasts of "Per cent'anni" ("For a hundred years") from the well-heeled guests. And then there would be the food. Course upon course of traditional family dishes, delighting each guest with the flavors and freshness of Italian food. Of course, one of the primo courses would be Italian Wedding Soup...or so my romantic food fantasy went. That is, until I discovered that "wedding soup" is a mistranslation of "minestra maritata", which means "married soup". This refers to the compatibility of green vegetables and meat. Sigh. Well, at least I still have oysters and chocolate.
Now, one can quibble about the proper content of meatballs. You may prefer beef, pork, veal, or some combination of these meats. However, I decided to try something a little different. Turkey and Italian sausage. Any concern I had about the level of moisture in these meatballs was quickly alleviated as soon as I tasted one of these meatballs. I chose to use spinach in this recipe because that is what I had in my fridge. However, escarole or curly endive would work just as well.
The recipe:
The meatballs:
In a large bowl, combine 1 small onion, grated; ⅓ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley; 1 large egg; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; and ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons bread crumbs. Stir well. 
Stir in ½ cup grated Parmesan, 8 ounces ground turkey, and 2 Italian sausage links, removed from their casings.
For each meatball, scoop 1 heaping teaspoon of the turkey mixture and roll into a ball. Place on a baking sheet. Place on a baking sheet.
The soup:
Bring 12 cups of low-sodium chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the broth and cook at a gentle boil until the meatball are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in 1 pound fresh spinach leaves.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan. Stir the soup in a circular motion and slowly drizzle in the egg mixture.
Gently stir the soup with a fork until the egg forms thin strands, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately. If desired, top each serving with grated Parmesan cheese.
Other soups using Italian sausage:
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Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
The Meatballs:
- 1 small onion grated
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
- 8 ounces ground turkey
- 2 links Italian sausage casings removed
The Soup:
- 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pounds fresh spinach leaves
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan plus more for garnish
- salt & pepper
Instructions
The Meatballs:
- In a large bowl, combine onion, parsley, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, and bread crumbs. Stir well. Stir in grated Parmesan, ground turkey, and Italian sausages. For each meatball, scoop 1 heaping teaspoon of the turkey mixture and roll into a ball. Place on a baking sheet.
The Soup:
- Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the broth and cook at a gentle boil until the meatball are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in fresh spinach leaves.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan. Stir the soup in a circular motion and slowly drizzle in the egg mixture.
- Gently stir the soup with a fork until the egg forms thin strands, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately. If desired, top each serving with grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Chelsey
So I finally got around to making your soup tonight, and it is AMAZING! I will be making this again and again. I give this recipe 5 stars, and so do my kids. My Mom stopped in for a quick minute and I encouraged her to try some...There were a few moans ensued. Thank-You!
Claudia
How funny - am making a version of this next week. I love the sausage meatball idea though ... and the spinach is perfect!
Boilermaker
Looks tasty!
nemawei
This looks just like the soup my grandmother Luciano use to make! She could never tell me the recipe though:( One question.. Make the meatballs and put them on a baking sheet, but don't bake them at all? Just put them directly into the broth?