Italian Wedding Soup...

I have become a really big fan of soup lately.  It makes it even better that the hubby and kids enjoy this one too; the kids because its just soup and the hubby because it is actually filling! Imagine that!

This is a recipe I have modified a bit to make it point friendly on Weight Watchers.  Just a few minor changes and it doesn't cost so many points but still tastes delicious.  The original recipe can be found here by the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network. 

Ingredients:

1/2 Lbs. Ground Chicken, extra lean

1/4 Lbs. Chicken Sausage (I like the spicy ones)

2/3 Cup Bread Crumbs

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

3 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley, Chopped

1/4 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

3 Tablespoon Reduced Fat Milk

1 Egg White

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flake (optional)

2 Teaspoon Olive Oil

1 Cup Onions, Chopped

1/2 Cup Celery, Chopped

1/2 Cup Carrots, Chopped

10 Cups Chicken Stock

1 Cup Dried Pasta (small shaped)

1/4 Cup Fresh Dill, Chopped

1 Cup Fresh Spinach, Chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, parmesan, milk, egg white, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round but should be fairly small since they will soak up the stock and get bigger.) Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan (optional).

Note: If you use freshly grated parmesan cheese and have some cheese rinds left over, add those in to the soup when you add the stock.  It will give it an additional depth of flavor, just make sure you fish those out before serving! :)

Enjoy and don't forget to take the Thyme to Savor every bite!