Classic Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Meatballs & Greens

Meatballs:

• 1 lb (97%) lean ground beef
• ½ cup onion, minced
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
• ⅓ cup bread crumbs
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 large egg

Soup:

• 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken broth
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¾ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup acini di pepe, (tiny round pasta)
• 2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, (or 1 1/2 tsp dried parsley)
• 1 cup loosely packed spinach, thinly sliced

• In a large bowl, mix all meatball ingredients until combined. Shape the mixture into 1-inch meatballs—using a small spoon or teaspoon helps keep them uniform. Roll each between your palms to form smooth, round meatballs.
• In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, brown the meatballs. If your beef isn’t very lean, brown in batches and drain excess fat. Add the chicken broth, onion powder, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the acini di pepe and cook for about 10 minutes, or according to package instructions, until the pasta is tender. Just before serving, add the parsley and thinly sliced spinach, stir to combine, and serve hot.