It started to pour rain today. I don't mind it. Since I am inside at work all day, the only reason it would bother me, is when I walk to and from my car. What I love about the rain and the cold, is the warm food that tastes extra good. Soup in particular.
I am throwing a bridal shower tomorrow night. And have been trying to decide what to serve. I have gone back and forth on so many things. But, I commited to Italian Wedding Soup. I thought it was so appropriate for 2 reason:
1. It is a bridal shower, for a wedding. And it is wedding soup.
2. The rain outside is cold, and this will warm everyone right up.
I made the meatballs last night and put them in a zip lock bag in the fridge until I use them for the soup tomorrow night.
Adapted from Ina Garten's Italian Wedding Soup
Meatballs
1/4 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
4 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Soup
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
10 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup rice noodle penne
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, flour, garlic, cilantro, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.
I am throwing a bridal shower tomorrow night. And have been trying to decide what to serve. I have gone back and forth on so many things. But, I commited to Italian Wedding Soup. I thought it was so appropriate for 2 reason:
1. It is a bridal shower, for a wedding. And it is wedding soup.
2. The rain outside is cold, and this will warm everyone right up.
I made the meatballs last night and put them in a zip lock bag in the fridge until I use them for the soup tomorrow night.
Adapted from Ina Garten's Italian Wedding Soup
Meatballs
1/4 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
4 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Soup
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
10 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup rice noodle penne
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, flour, garlic, cilantro, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.