Italian Wedding Soup

There are endless variations on this soup, but the main elements are meatballs and greens. In my recipe, I make beef meatball and add plenty of kale for the green component. While the name indicates that the soup might be served at an Italian wedding, it is actually a mistranslation of minestra maritata, which refers to the "marriage" of greens and meat in the soup.

Ingredients

Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup dried bread crumbs
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, beaten

Soup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped white onions
3/4 cup chopped carrots
2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 Tablespoons mixed herbs

1 Teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Pint chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 cup uncooked orzo (or any pasta you have)
2 cups shredded kale

Method

For the meatballs, put beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and egg into a large bowl and use your hands to mix well. Use a teaspoon to measure out meat for even sized meatballs. With damp hands, shape them into 1-inch balls and transfer them to a large plate. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

For the soup, melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until translucent and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes, and 2 cups water. Cover and cook 10 minutes over medium heat or until soup comes to a boil.

Add meatballs and Pasta to the boiling soup and stir to make sure they are fully submerged. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes over medium heat. Stir in kale. Test a meatball and a piece of orzo to ensure that they are fully cooked. Season according to taste.