Tip
Use homemade chicken stock if you have it.
Donabe Italian Wedding Soup
This quick and easy version of a classic Italian wedding soup is the perfect antidote to a cold winter night. Warming and filling without weighing you down, this family-friendly one pot dinner has a little something for everyone.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, diced
½ large yellow onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon chili flakes
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups escarole leaves, cut into ½-inch ribbons
1 pound pork or turkey sausage meat (casings removed if necessary)
⅓ cup orzo
1 egg
parmesan cheese, to garnish
Heat the olive oil in a medium-size donabe (or dutch oven) over medium heat.
Add carrots, onion, celery, garlic cloves, chili flakes, and a pinch of salt and sauté for about 10 minutes, or until tender and starting to brown.
Add chicken stock and bring the mixture up to a boil.
Meanwhile, roll the sausage into 20 individual meatballs.
When the chicken stock is boiling, add the meatballs, escarole, and orzo. Bring the mixture back up to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Beat the egg in a small bowl, and stir it into the simmering soup just before serving.
Taste for seasoning and finish with a drizzle of olive oil, some cracked black pepper, and parmesan cheese to taste.