This is one of my all-time favorite soups and I was so happy to finally get a nice bowl of it on my kitchen table.
The history of this soup has nothing to do with the
uniting of a man and woman in marriage, it's all about the 'marriage' of
flavors--the full-bodied, rich flavors of the meat and the supple, delicate
flavors of the greens, along with the other ingredients--which by the way,
works out quite well...yes, a wonderful union indeed!
For
the meatballs -- 1/2 pound each of ground pork and ground
sirloin, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1 Tbsp
fresh basil, 1 Tbsp fresh sage, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup fresh
bread crumbs, 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, 2 cloves freshly minced garlic, 1
tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp Worcestershire
sauce, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper, 1 slightly beaten egg, 1
small onion, grated.
In a large mixing bowl, mix everything together
thoroughly, adding the egg last. Form in to spoon size meatballs. Heat the oil
in a pan, and brown the meatballs in batches. Do not worry if they are not
fully cooked thru, they will do so when added to the soup. Set these aside.
For
the soup -- 16 ounces chicken stock, 2 cups fresh baby
spinach, 2 cups fresh curly endive, 2 cups fresh Swiss chard, 2 carrots-diced,
2 stalks of celery-sliced, 1 chopped onion, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1
tsp dried basil 2 lightly beaten large eggs, kosher salt & fresh cracked
black pepper to taste
Add the stock to a large pot along with the greens,
carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme and basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce to
low heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add in the meatballs and simmer for another
20 to 25 minutes--want to make sure the meat is cooked through. Next add the
greens and simmer for 15 minutes until they are nice and tender. At this point
we want to add in those two slightly beaten eggs. Do this by adding in a thin,
slow steady stream, while swirling the soup with a wooden spoon as you add the
eggs. Mix (swirl) for about a minute and that's it. Soups On!
Garnish with fresh herbs--basil and sage, and top with
grated or shaved Parmesan cheese.
A match made in the kitchen.
Squisito!
That's Amore. Un tazón lleno del amor!
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