Italian Wedding Soup

I can’t lie. It’s been pretty dreary in my world over the past few weeks. Between the rain and the cold and the dark, I really need my hearty soups to keep me from curling up in bed and pulling the covers over my head. This soup is a satisfying meal on its own, but pair it with a just-from-the-oven loaf of bread to make this a truly uplifting dinner.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 batch Basic Meatballs
  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 medium carrots, diced
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary
  • 6 cups broth, chicken or vegetable, homemade if you have it
  • 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked Israeli couscous
  • 16 ounces kale, deveined and coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Make meatballs.
  2. While meatballs are in oven, heat oil over medium-high heat in large, cast iron Dutch oven or soup pot. Add onions, celery, carrots and herbs. Sauté, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Add broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Add couscous and stir. Simmer with top on for 8-10 minutes, until couscous and carrots are tender.
  4. In last 2-3 minutes of cooking, add kale and meatballs to soup pot. Stir and cover, cooking until all is heated through and tender.
  5. Divide into soup bowls and top with Parmesan.