Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup (recipe adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures)

10 cups chicken stock

2 cups water 

4 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice 

1 tablespoon (about 3 cloves) minced garlic, divided 

4 cups kale or spinach, chopped  

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving 

2 eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon pepper 

1 lb italian sausage (I used turkey sausage) 

1 1/4 cups small shaped pasta or tortellini

Make mini meatballs: 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. 

Combine the cheese, eggs, bread crumbs, the remaining 1 teaspoon of garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir until well combined.  Fold in the sausage, but do not over mix

Use a small cookie scoop to portion the mixture into roughly 1-inch meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Make soup

Combine the chicken broth, water, carrots, 2 teaspoons of the garlic, and the kale (if using spinach, add at end) in a large pot over medium-high heat. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 20-30 minutes.

Add the pasta to the soup. Continue simmering until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. 

 Add the meatballs to the soup (heat briefly to rewarm if necessary). Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add cheese for serving.