Turkey Italian Wedding Soup

Turkey Italian Wedding Soup

I imagine you're looking at the lengthy list of ingredients below and thinking this recipe is pretty involved, but really it's surprisingly simple. Thanks to the food processor, the meatballs can be thrown together quite quickly, and aside from some time spent simmering, the soup goes together even faster. These Italians really know how to simplify wedding catering.

serves 6 to 8

MEATBALLS

8 ounces ground turkey

8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and coarsely chopped

½ cup breadcrumbs

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated

¼ cup yellow onion, peeled and minced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

¾ teaspoon ground sage

½ teaspoon kosher salt

pinch freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

1 cup yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 cup carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch rounds

1 cup leek, washed, white and light-green parts thinly sliced

½ cup celery, cut into ¼-inch pieces

¼ cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2½ quarts Homemade Turkey Stock, or low-sodium, canned chicken broth

3 cups soaked and drained white cannellini beans, or two 15-ounce cans

3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

2 bay leaves

8 ounces (about 1 small bunch) escarole, large stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped

1 cup, dried tubetini pasta

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

To make the meatballs, pulse the ground turkey and sausage together in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment until well mixed. Still pulsing the food processor, incorporate the breadcrumbs, cheeses, onion, and garlic. Add the egg, followed by the parsley and sage, pulsing to combine. Season with salt and black pepper.

Form the meatballs by taking 1 tablespoon of the turkey mixture and rolling it between your hands into a firm ball. Continue to form the meatballs until all the turkey mixture is used. You should have about 2 dozen meatballs.

In a large skillet, heat the ¼ cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add some of the meatballs to the skillet, being sure not to crowd the meatballs into the skillet. Allow the meatballs to brown, turning them so they brown evenly on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes. Then, remove the meatballs to a separate container. The meatballs will not be cooked through. Continue to brown the remaining meatballs in batches.

To make the soup, combine the onion, carrots, leek, and celery with the olive oil in a large stockpot. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add the stock, beans, parsley, and bay leaves and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the prepared turkey meatballs. Allow the soup to simmer until the meatballs are cooked through.

Once the meatballs have cooked, add the escarole to the simmering soup. Cover the pot and allow the escarole to wilt into the soup, 4 to 5 minutes. Then, uncover the soup and add the pasta. Continue to simmer until the pasta is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Then, season the soup with salt and black pepper.