Italian Wedding Meatball Soup

Votes: 3

Time: 40 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

Nutritional value per serving:

Calories 520, total fat 28 G., saturated fats 8 G., proteins 39 G., carbohydrates 32 G., fiber 5 G., cholesterol 90 mg, sodium 650 mg, sugar 0 G.

The name of this Italian soup isn't related to a wedding ceremony. Minestra maritata (married soup) refers to how well the ingredients pair together. There are many variations of this soup, but the most traditional ones tend to be rich in ingredients and very filling. This version is lighter thanks to the use of turkey instead of the popular beef or pork.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

450 g of ground turkey
1/4 cup semi-skimmed ricotta
1/4 cup pesto
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + extra for drizzling
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning
4 cups lightly salted chicken broth
1 head escarole (about 450 g), chopped (remove tough outer leaves)
110 g ditalini pasta (about 3/4 cup)
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Recipes with similar ingredients: ground turkey, Ditalini pasta, escarole salad, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, pesto sauce, Italian seasonings

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Preheat oven to broil. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, ricotta, pesto, Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Mix with your hands until evenly distributed. Form into 24 small meatballs (about 1 tablespoon each); transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Grill until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, 2 cups water, escarole, and ditalini pasta. Cover and bring to a boil, then slightly open the lid and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.
Add the meatballs and simmer, uncovered, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle each serving with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley.

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