Jan. 3 -- Soup's on (again)

In an effort to continue my monthly "theme" -- healthy foods that are good on cold nights -- I decided to share another favorite soup recipe. Yesterday's was a fantastic creamy, smooth soup. But this one is full of chunky vegetables, offering lots of texture. I also like how the meatballs are made in the oven; it's not only healthier, it's so much easier!

I've only made it a few times, but my family loves it. Here's hoping you will, too.

This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa's cookbook "Back to Basics."

Italian Wedding Soup

For the meatballs:

3/4 lb. ground chicken
1/2 lb. chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tsp. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tbsp. milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and fresh ground pepper

For the soup:

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced carrots (about 3)
3/4 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)
10 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta, such as tubetini or stars
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 oz. baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, cheeses, milk, egg, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1- to 1 1/4-inch meatballs on to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs; they don't need to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 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; saute until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes, 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 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 spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6 to 8.

Cook's notes: I add extra vegetables to the soup, and I chop them into larger pieces. To me, this improves the soup's texture. Tubetini and stars can be hard to find; orzo or ditalini are nice alternatives that are not too big. If you don't care for dill, basil would be a delicious substitute.
Imported Pecorino and Parmesan can be very expensive; some domestic brands are very good, and far less costly. I've substituted domestic Asiago for the Pecorino, and I liked it a lot. Just make sure it's freshly grated, and not the stuff in a can. It truly will make a world of difference!