Italian Wedding Soup with Pork Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 Red Onion
• 3 oz Kale
• 1 Ciabatta Bread Roll
• 8 oz Ground Pork
• 1 oz Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning Blend
• 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
• 4 tsp. Chicken Base
• 3 oz Ditalini
• Olive Oil
• Salt Pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook Within: Keep your hands slightly moist while forming meatballs to keep meat from sticking. Wish we could regale you with some ancient history about ciabatta, but this slipper-shaped bread was only invented in 1982 by an Italian baker to counter the popularity of French

2. 2

   Prepare the Ingredients: Halve and peel onion. Cut halves into ¼” dice. Stem kale and coarsely chop. Slice ciabatta into ½” slices.

3. 3

   Reduce heat to medium and add 1 cup red onion: (save any extra for another use). Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 minutes. Add remaining Italian seasoning, chicken base, and 4 cups water to pot. Increase heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Combine ground pork, half the Parmesan (reserve: remaining for bread), half the Italian seasoning (reserve remaining for soup), half the cornstarch (reserve remaining for soup), ½ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. meatballs about 1 ¼” in diameter.

5. 5

   Bake Ciabatta and Finish Soup: ½ tsp. olive oil and remaining Parmesan (reserve a pinch for garnish). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and bake until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. While bread is baking, add pasta, kale, and meatballs to soup. Combine remaining cornstarch with 1 tsp. water and stir into soup. Return to a bare simmer and cook until pasta is tender and meatballs reach a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees, 8-10

6. 6

   Sear the Meatballs: Place a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp. olive oil and meatballs to hot pot. Cook until well-browned on three sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer meatballs to a plate and remove all but 2 tsp. drippings from pot. Meatballs will finish cooking in a

7. 7

   Plate the Dish: Place a serving of soup in a bowl and garnish with reserved Parmesan. Serve ciabatta on side. recipe–it has bigger grains and is easier to pinch than table salt, allowing more control over flavor. If using regular table salt, reduce measured amounts three times. Half is added to meatball mixture, remaining is baked onto ciabatta, and a pinch garnishes dish. is used twice. Half is added to meatball mixture and remaining is added to soup. used twice. Half is added to meatball mixture and remaining thickens soup. the recipe before you start–we promise it will be time