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Italian Wedding Soup with Whole Wheat

Servings 8 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 celery rib finely chopped
  • 1 carrot finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • 8 cups good chicken broth
  • 1 head of escarole washed and roughly chopped
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 8 oz ground chicken or pork
  • 1 whole egg + 1 whole yolk
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 cups cooked Grano or #3 coarse bulgur
  • 1 T chopped fresh parsley
  • a little parmesan cheese to serve
  • a little good olive oil to serve

Instructions

  • In a large soup pot, soften onion, carrot and celery in oil for on low heat, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, escarole, chicken broth and a little salt and pepper. Simmer for about 20 minutes until all vegetables are soft. Add lemon juice and season again with salt and pepper. Stir in grano and keep on a low simmer.
  • In a small bowl combine the chicken, egg, breadcrumb, mustard & nutmeg. Add a ð tsp fresh grated pepper and about a tsp of salt. Test a little bit by cooking in a fry pan to adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  • Form chicken mixture into tiny ð inch-inch meatballs and roll in a little flour. Drop into simmering soup and cook until they start to float to the top. Add parsley.
  • Serve immediately drizzled with good olive oil and a little Parmesan cheese
  • TO COOK GRANO: Rinse Grano first Cook in 4 times the amount of water. For instance, 3 cups of Grano, 12 cups of water. Bring water to a boil and add grano. Simmer for 5 minutes and turn off heat. Cover with a lid and let "soak" for 45 minutes. Drain. Bring water back to a boil and add Grano. Cook for 30 minutes until tender. Season well with salt and let sit for 5 minutes to absorb the salt. Drain.