Italian Egg Drop Soup with Little Meatballs: Foodie Friday:

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/italian_soup_with_kale.html

It wasn’t hard for me to decide on what recipe to share with you today. Myself and my whole family have been sick.  My son has been home for a week with the flu and pneumonia, unable to eat anything but soup. So,soup it is... I love making soup for someone sick. I think it is one of the most nurturing, healing dishes you can make, and it is simple.

I would like to share with you a very special soup, one my Italian nonna made every Easter: “Egg Drop Soup with Meatballs” It is a very East meets West kinda of concoction. I remember when I was 16 I went to my first Chinese restaurant with a friend who is Jewish. He asked if I wanted to see what “the heathens” do on Sunday. It sounded like something I might have to confess in church the following week, but I went with him anyway. Of course, the menu was truly foreign to me, except: Egg Drop Soup. I said, “Oh, my grandma makes this, but with meatballs.” I got a few “Oh, isn’t that strange” nods from my friend’s parents... as they suggested I start with Lo Mein since it was like spaghetti. 

The following is my adaptation of my grandmother’s soup, because, of course, she didn’t cook with a recipe, so no one knows how she actually made the soup.

Nonna Marietta’s Egg Drop Soup with Little Meatballs

by Diane Balch

Serves: 6 Prep time: 20 minutes 

2 32 oz containers of chicken broth

1 pound ground turkey or beef

2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp olive oil

2 big shakes of Emeril’s Original Essence or another Italian Seasoning Blend

1 dash cayenne

1 dash nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste.

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup tubettini or other tiny pasta (quinoa can be used as a gluten-free substitute)

1/4 head of escarole chopped,  or 1/4 10oz package of frozen chopped spinach

1/2 cup of grated parmesan  (for garnish)
* optional lemon zest for garnish

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large sauce pot.
2. While the broth is coming to a boil. Roll the ground meat into 1 inch diameter tiny meat balls. (This is the fun part, especially if you have little kids to help.)
3. Add meatballs, olive oil,  Worcestershire sauce and spices to the boiling broth, lower the heat and let everything simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks.
5. As you stir the soup with a whisk, slowly add the yolks.
6. Next add the escarole or spinach. (You may want to add more than 1/4)
7. Add the pasta. Then bring the soup back up to a boil for 2 minutes. 
8. It would be best to let the soup sit for at least 30 minutes or longer to let the flavors blend. If you don’t have the time to let the soup sit, boil it for the cooking time recommended for the type of pasta you are using.
9. Garnish each bowl of soup with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. 

NOTE: Use the leftover escarole in a pasta dish. Chop it up and sauté it about 5 Tlbs. of extra virgin oil with about 3 cloves of garlic. Add some cannelloni beans (any white bean), salt and pepper.  Cook some medium size pasta, like penne, and add it to this mixture. Top with parmesan cheese.

copyright 2012
soup Italian beef meatballs
http://verygoodrecipes.com/italia