I love soup!  It is one of my most favorite comfort foods.  As fall and the holidays approach, I find that I almost always have a soup in the refrigerator.  This Italian White Wedding Soup by Barefoot Contessa is one of my favorites.  My son was home from school today sick with a cold, and when I told him that I would make anything he liked…..he asked for this…

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• 3/4 lb ground chicken
• 1/2 lb chicken sausage, casing removed
• 2/3 cup bread crumbs (fresh or boxed, white or seasoned)
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (extra for serving)
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• salt & pepper

For the Soup:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup minced onion
• 1 cup 1/4-inch diced carrots
• 3/4 cup 1/4-inch diced celery
• 10 cups chicken stock (canned or homemade)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup small pasta
• 1/4 cup fresh dill
• 1 cup fresh spinach (more if desired)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, both cheeses, milk, egg, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper into a bowl and combine with a fork.  With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1/4 inch  meatballs onto a sheet pan with either a non-stick pad or parchment paper.

Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned.  Set aside

In the meantime, prepare the vegetables for the soup.

Add the olive oil to a large, heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onions, celery, carrots and saute until softened, stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil.

Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until pasta is tender, but slightly firm.  Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup, and simmer for a few minutes.  Taste for salt & pepper.  Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until just wilted.  Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.