When I lived in Michigan and New York, I would eat soup or veggie chili almost every day through the winter. I wanted something warm and comforting, but not too heavy. Italian Wedding Soup was one of my favorites. Unfortunately this is another one of those items that I haven’t been able to find in the stores gluten free. Fortunately, making delicious gluten free Italian Wedding Soup from scratch isn’t all that difficult or time consuming. This recipe makes a big batch so that you and your family will have some for lunch the next day too. Leftovers rock!
Let the Good Times Roll
One way to help keep your meatballs light and tender is to use fresh gluten free bread instead of dried breadcrumbs. Just a half slice of bread pulsed in a food processor a few times will do the trick. The parsley, garlic and parmesan cheese will boost the flavor in these little bites. The mixture all comes together easily in one bowl. Then roll small amounts of the mixture into balls and place them on a baking sheet. They only need 10 minutes in the oven and the soup should be almost ready by the time they are done!
Everyone in the Hot Tub!
While the meatballs are baking, start on the soup. Heat your oil and onions. Add garlic and season with salt and pepper. The stock is added and heated to a boil, then the pasta and meatballs go in. A few minutes later, soup is on the table! Given the meat, greens and pasta in the soup, you might consider it a light meal. I keep it gluten free by using Barilla gluten free shaped pastas. They hold up very well in this soup. Some other dishes that would go well with it if you are looking for something more would be Italian Quinoa Casserole, Veggie Lasagna, Kicked up Kale Salad with Fig Balsamic Dressing, Truffle Spinach Quiche or Spicy Broccoli Quiche.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 Lb ground turkey - sub chicken or beef if you'd like
- 1 egg
- ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs from ½ slice of gluten free bread - pulse in food processor until finely ground
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley - finely chopped
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
For the soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion - diced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped - 3 heaping teaspoons
- 3-4 quarts good quality chicken stock
- 1 box gluten free pasta (small shaped) - I used Barilla Gluten Free Elbows
- 1 5 oz. bag fresh spinach, endive or escarole
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- shredded parmesan cheese for topping - *optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet or two with parchment paper.
- Place ½ slice of gluten free bread in your food processor and pulse until ground into small crumbs.
- In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Using a scoop or tablespoon, make small meatballs (about 1 inch in diameter) out of the mixture and place them on the lined baking sheet. You should have at least 18 meatballs.
- Bake for 10 minutes. They will be set but not cooked through. Set aside.
- While the meatballs are in the oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper. Cook until slightly softened then add the garlic. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then add the chicken stock, leaving enough room in your pot for the pasta and meatballs. Turn the heat to high.
- Once the stock comes to a boil, add the pasta and meatballs. Let cook for 7 minutes, check to be sure the pasta is al dente (if the pasta needs a little longer, then just keep a close eye on it), then turn off the heat when the pasta is cooked. Taste the broth and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Add a handful of spinach/endive/escarole to each of your serving bowls. Pour hot soup on top of the greens. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and some grated parmesan cheese and serve.
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