Italian Wedding Soup

Where Warmth and Tenderness Meet

Italian Wedding Soup has always struck me as a gentle contradiction — something so nourishing that it feels almost ceremonial, yet humble enough to simmer on a Tuesday evening. The name has nothing to do with weddings, of course. It comes from the Italian idea of a perfect marriage: greens and meat, broth and grain, each element finding its place in the bowl. There is patience built into this kind of cooking. A slow soften of vegetables, a quiet simmer, a gradual deepening of flavor. This is soup that holds you.

Ingredients

• 3 large carrots, diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 teaspoons Alessi Garlic Puree
• 2 tablespoons Alessi Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 pound frozen meatballs, thawed
• 1 cup Vigo Orzo
• 1 1/2 cups baby spinach
• Alessi Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• Alessi Breadsticks (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot, sauté carrots, onion, celery, and garlic in heated olive oil until soft and slightly brown.
2. Add chicken stock and reduce to medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add orzo and meatballs and let cook for 5 minutes; then stir in spinach.
4. Cook an additional 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve with Alessi Breadsticks.