The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Little bits of green are popping up in our flower beds, and the backyard birds have been very active as of late. The change of season is rapidly approaching. With that, nights have still been a little chilly and I continue to find myself craving soup. This homey Italian American classic, with little meatballs and greens in a light broth, is satisfying without being too heavy. For my version, I used ground turkey and brightened things up with the addition of fresh lemon.

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

1 large egg

1 pound ground turkey

½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt)

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more

For the soup:

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 medium carrots, diced

3 celery ribs, diced

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

8 cups chicken broth

¾ cup small soup pasta (orzo, ditalini, or acini di pepe)

3 cups packed baby spinach

Zest of one lemon, plus the juice

Grated Parmesan, for serving

Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Directions:

First make the meatballs. Crack the egg into a large mixing bowl and lightly beat it with a fork. Add the turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix just until all ingredients are totally incorporated. Coat your hands with a small amount of olive oil, then form small meatballs using a heaping teaspoon of the mixture per meatball. Transfer the meatballs to a sheet pan as you go. You should have between 50 and 70 small (1-inch) meatballs.

In a large soup pot or Dutch-oven, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, fry the meatballs in two batches, turning occasionally, until they are browned on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

To the same pot, add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes. Add a little more oil if the pan feels too dry. Next, add the garlic with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt (½ teaspoon of fine), a crack of black pepper, and the pinch of crushed pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about another minute.

Return the meatballs to the pot, add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. When bubbling, stir in the pasta, lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach until wilted. Add the lemon juice and zest then taste for seasoning, adding more salt or pepper as needed. Serve in warm bowls, garnishing the tops with grated Parmesan, parsley, and a crack of black pepper. A little drizzle of extra-virgin olive is also lovely on top.

Notes:

For a more traditional meatball, substitute the ground turkey with a combination of ½ pound ground lean beef and ½ pound ground pork. Instead of regular breadcrumbs you could also try using panko breadcrumbs for a different texture.

Instead of baby spinach you could also try any of your favorite greens, such as lacinato kale, chard, arugula, or baby mustard greens. For heartier greens, like kale, you might need to keep the soup simmering while they wilt and get tender. If you can find it, escarole would be a fantastic, and very Italian option.

The soup will continue to thicken as it sits. When reheating leftovers, you might need to add more broth to thin it out. Leftovers also freeze beautifully.

I served this with a crusty loaf of Italian-style bread, a crisp side salad, and plenty of cheese and extra lemon wedges on the table for passing around.

Enjoy.