Recipe: Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs

*** I first blogged this recipe almost two years ago. Over the past two years, my skills in the kitchen have gotten better, and with my recent camera purchase, so have the pictures. One thing that hasn't changed is how delicious this soup is! ***

Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs & Orzo
(Recipe adapted from this one.)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 3 T. Parmesan cheese, grated
• 3 quarts chicken broth
• 1 10 oz. box of frozen spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out.
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
  
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 cups orzo pasta
• 3 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 t. of red pepper flakes
• Salt and Pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Saute carrots, onion and celery in oil until soft and starting to brown.
2. While veggies cook, make the meatballs: mix turkeys, eggs, breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt and pepper in a separate mixing bowl. Form into ½ inch balls, and set on a baking sheet.
3. Cook meatballs on the baking sheet in 375F degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
4. Add chicken stock to veggies and then stir in the thawed spinach and add the red pepper flakes.
5. Let the mixture reduce on high heat.
6. Add pasta to soup to cook.
7. When meatballs are cooked, add them to the soup.
8. Boil 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. 

This was SUPER delicious. Really. Hardcore delicious. Graham and I both LOVED this soup, and it made a TON. The only problem? The orzo keeps sucking up the chicken stock. And the next day it had turned from soup to pasta salad. Completely different texture, but still really good.