Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs

Step 1

For the meatballs: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and lightly coat the bottom of a baking sheet with oil.

Step 2

Tear the bread into small pieces and add into a large bowl along with the milk. Stir to combine and set aside to allow the bread to soak up the milk and break down slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 3

Add in the garlic, egg and onion and beat to combine. Add in the turkey, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Using 2 forks or your fingers almost like rakes, mix just until well combined. Scoop tablespoon-size mounds of the mixture onto the baking sheet, then roll into small meatballs. You want them to be smaller than a ping-pong ball. If the mixture is a bit sticky, simply wet your hands with water every so often – this will keep the mixture from sticking to your hands.

Step 4

Roast the meatballs until golden brown on the bottom and cooked through, 14 to 16 minutes.

Step 5

For the soup: Meanwhile, place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add in the oil. Add the carrots, onion and fennel and season with salt and black pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened and lightly caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. Add in the beans, red pepper flakes and garlic and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the beans start to pick up a little color and their skins begin to burst, about 3 minutes.

Step 6

Raise the heat to medium high. Carefully pour in the broth, add the meatballs and bring to a boil. If you have a rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano hanging around, you can add it now too. It will give the soup some extra flavor. When the soup comes to a boil, add in the pasta and cook until the vegetables and pasta are tender, about 10 minutes.

Step 7

In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the greens to wilt. Just before serving, stir through the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley and lemon juice. Serve with big shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.