Weeknight Wedding Soup

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My dad is famous for his wedding soup. It’s amazing, but he makes it an all-day ordeal. Now, don’t get me wrong, making your own broth and mini meatballs is great, but NOT on a Tuesday night. So, he and I worked together to make his laborious wedding soup simple enough for a weeknight. With a little help from some store-bought ingredients, this takes a fraction of the time and does not miss a beat. Dad says, “It couldn’t be any better.” And let me tell you, he’s a tough customer.

WEEKNIGHT WEDDING SOUP

SERVES 6–8

8 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 pound frozen mini-meatballs or homemade

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, peeled

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

2 cups chopped fresh spinach

2 eggs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

In a large stock pot, add chicken broth, water, chicken, meatballs, carrots, celery, onion, and pepper; bring to a boil. (Don’t bother chopping up the onion. You can put it in whole because it will be removed before serving.) Boil for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.

Remove one ladle of broth and set aside (or refrigerate for a few minutes) to cool. (You’ll use this shortly)

Remove chicken and shred. Return shredded chicken to the pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Add uncooked pasta and chopped spinach.

Meanwhile, crack eggs into a small bowl and gently whisk. Add the Parmesan cheese and the cool broth to your egg mixture. (If it’s too hot, it will scramble the egg.) Slowly add

the egg mixture to the soup while stirring constantly. Remove the onion.

Serve with additional grated cheese for the table.