This Chicken Meatball Italian Wedding Soup recipe is made with chicken meatballs, sweet potatoes, and kale.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
2lbground chicken
2tspdried oregano
2tspdried marjoram
2tspdried thyme
1tspdried basil
1tspdried rosemary, or 1 tsp fresh
2tspdried parsley
1 ½tspblack pepper
1tspfennel seeds
1tsppaprika
2tspsalt
2tspgarlic powder
1egg, beaten
6Tbspextra-virgin olive oil, divided
For the Soup
4garlic cloves, minced
2medium sweet potatoes, cut into 3/4’’ cubes
Kosher salt to taste
1large white onion, coarsely chopped
½tspcrushed red pepper flakes
½cupdry white wine
115-oz can cannellini (white kidney) beans
3handfuls spinach
4cupschicken broth
1cupwater
Parmesan to garnish
Fresh herbs
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat and spices listed for the meatballs. Mix gently, just until combined, then portion out into 1 1/2’’ to 2 ‘’ thick meatballs onto wax paper.
In a large pot, coat the bottom with a thin layer of olive oil, and heat over medium-high. When oil is hot, add the meatballs and brown each side—4-5 minutes per side. When meatballs are cooked and browned (the meat will not be as glossy as red meats that render more fat, but that's okay!), turn off heat and remove from the pan. Repeat for any remaining meatballs. If the pan is black and crusty on the bottom, deglaze with water, and rinse before cooking onions and garlic.
Over medium-low heat in the same pan, add 4 Tbsp more olive oil and heat until shimmery. Add onions, sweet potato, chili flakes, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until ingredients are tender and aromatics are translucent—10-12 minutes.
When aromatics are cooked down, add the white wine, and scrape the brown bits at the bottom of the skillet. Add in the chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, and make sure sweet potatoes are tender.
Add the beans and meatballs to the broth and simmer for another 15 minutes. Finally, add the spinach and stir until leaves are wilted. Serve with fresh herbs and freshly shaven cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
This recipe has been updated with new text from October 2019, but the recipe is unchanged.