I am told that the Wedding soup has got nothing to do with weddings, but is a mistranslation of "minestra maritata" which means "married soup", that is the "marriage" of green vegetables and meats. My first taste of this soup was from good old Campbell's Select Italian-Style Wedding Soup more than a decade ago. I had picked a can of this soup from the grocery store since it looked very different. I am not a fan of heavy creamy broth in soups and this one seemed really 'good looking'! During my graduate school days, I used to have a lot of soup - it was quite convenient lunch during the cold and frosty Buffalo winters.
Today San Diego is unusually cold. The temperature has been in the mid 60s and there is some cold wind blowing from the sea. No, it is by no means as cold as Buffalo and Rochester used to be, but it did remind me of that flavor. So, I made my own version of the wedding soup.
Ingredients
1 handful Baby Carrots, diced to tiny one centimeter pieces
1/2 head garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 bay leaves
1 lb ground beef
one slice bread, torn and crushed
1 tablespoon fine minced garlic, or garlic powder
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup Pastina
1 box of Trader Joe's Chicken Broth, 32 oz
32 oz water
1/2 bag frozen spinach, or fresh spinach washed and chopped
Preparation
Today San Diego is unusually cold. The temperature has been in the mid 60s and there is some cold wind blowing from the sea. No, it is by no means as cold as Buffalo and Rochester used to be, but it did remind me of that flavor. So, I made my own version of the wedding soup.
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| Soma's Italian Wedding Soup |
1 handful Baby Carrots, diced to tiny one centimeter pieces
1/2 head garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 bay leaves
1 lb ground beef
one slice bread, torn and crushed
1 tablespoon fine minced garlic, or garlic powder
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup Pastina
1 box of Trader Joe's Chicken Broth, 32 oz
32 oz water
1/2 bag frozen spinach, or fresh spinach washed and chopped
Preparation
- Mix together beef, bread crumbs, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Let rest for a while.
- In a heavy soup pan, add EVOO. Heat the oil and then add bay leaves. Let the leaves flavor the oil for a bit. Then add onions, minced garlic and the carrots. Saute till the onions are translucent and the garlic aroma emanates from the oil.
- Add chicken broth and water. Bring to boil.
- Make tiny meatballs with the beef mixture and drop into the boiling soup. The meatballs should be about one to one and half centimeter in diameter. Yes, really tiny.
- When the meatballs are cooked (they rise to the top), add the pastina and spinach.
- Simmer till the pastina is cooked. You may need to add more water. Add as much water you need to get the desired consistency.
- Garnish with fresh grated peppercorns and Parmesan.
- Serve with warm toasted bread, preferably garlic bread or cheese toast.
The bread acts as a binding agent for the meatballs. You can also use an egg instead of the bread, or both. I think I read in a recipe somewhere that you can also add whipped egg in the soup. Even though I LOVE eggs, I am not sure if I will like it that way, it may become too much like egg drop soup! But then, soups like this are open to experimentation and interpretation. Next time I will be inclined to whip an egg and some grated cheese and then 'drop' it in the soup and see how it goes.
My father liked the soup but commented that it was not spicy enough for him. After all, the Indian palate does not care for a bland soup like this. I like it though. It's a refreshing change, and feels like comfort food on cold nights. Or may be it's just the memories of days long gone.....
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