Recipe

Italian wedding soup with chicken meatballs

Dec 31, 2009 1:00pm
  • 40 mins preparation
  • 1 hr 30 mins cooking
  • Serves 6
    • Print
    Print

Ingredients

Soffritto
  • 1 stalk celery with leaves, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 small carrot, peeled, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 medium onion, cut into chunks
  • 2 clove garlic, peeled
  • handful fresh basil leaves
Italian wedding soup with chicken meatballs
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive, plus extra to serve
  • 14 cup (3.5l) cold water
  • 1 head curly endive, about 600g, or other green, such as silverbeet or chicory, cut into 1cm ribbons
  • 1 small fennel bulb, halved, and cut into 1/2 cm thick slices
  • 250 gram zucchini, cut into 1cm pieces
  • 3 teaspoon salt
Chicken meatballs
  • 60 gram rustic white bread, about 1/4 ciabatta without crusts (weighed after removing crusts), torn into pieces
  • enough milk to just cover bread
  • 250 gram chicken sausages, meat removed from casings
  • 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • crusty bread rolls, to serve
  • pecorino cheese shavings, to serve

Method

Italian wedding soup with chicken meatballs
  • 1
    To make soffritto, whiz all ingredients in a processor until finely chopped.
  • 2
    Heat oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat, add soffritto and cook until dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in water, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in curly endive, fennel, zucchini and salt. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
  • 3
    Meanwhile, make meatballs, Place bread in a bowl and cover with milk to soak for a few minutes. Squeeze out moisture. Shred and place in a bowl. Add sausage meat. Egg and parsley, and season to taste. Mix well, then shape with wet hands into small balls and set aside. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat oil over moderate heat in a large frying pan; add meatballs and cook until golden.
  • 4
    Add meatballs to simmering soup and cook gently, uncovered, a further 5 minutes. Serve with crusty rolls, pecorino and extra oil, to drizzle.

The Latest from Food To Love