Tiny Meatball Italian Wedding Soup with Orzo and Spinach

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A weeknight version of the Italian-American classic: pea-sized chicken meatballs poached straight in simmering broth so nothing gets lost, plus orzo cooked in the same pot for a silky, lightly starchy soup. Wilted spinach, a squeeze of lemon and a heavy shower of Parmesan finish it. One pot, boxed stock, done in under an hour.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken (preferably dark meat)
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp whole milk
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp fennel seed, crushed (optional)

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 8 cups boxed low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 Parmesan rind (optional)
• 3/4 cup dry orzo
• 5 oz baby spinach
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• to taste kosher salt and black pepper

• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, for serving
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley or torn dill
• to taste extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions

1. Make the meatball mix: in a large bowl, stir together the panko and milk and let it sit 3 minutes until pasty. Add the ground chicken, 1/3 cup Parmesan, egg, parsley, grated garlic, 3/4 tsp salt, pepper and crushed fennel seed. Mix with your hands just until combined — overworking makes the meatballs rubbery.
2. Roll the meatballs small: wet your hands with cold water and roll level teaspoons of the mixture into 3/4-inch balls, about the size of a large marble. You should get 45 to 55. Set them on a parchment-lined sheet pan and refrigerate while you start the soup.
3. In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes, until softened and the onion is translucent but not browned. Add the sliced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Pour in the 8 cups chicken stock, add the Parmesan rind if using, and bring to a bare simmer — small bubbles just breaking the surface, about 195°F. Do not let it boil hard or the meatballs will break apart.
5. Drop the meatballs into the simmering broth a few at a time, spacing them out. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 8 minutes without stirring for the first 4 minutes so they set. They are done when firm and cooked through (165°F internal).
6. Stir in the orzo and simmer 8 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom, until the pasta is just tender. The broth will thicken slightly from the pasta starch — that's what you want.
7. Add the spinach in handfuls and stir until just wilted, about 1 minute. Remove the Parmesan rind. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season aggressively with salt and pepper — the soup needs more salt than you'd expect once the pasta absorbs the broth.
8. Ladle into warm bowls. Top each with a generous shower of Parmesan (about 2 tbsp per bowl), a scatter of parsley or dill, a drizzle of olive oil and a final crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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