italian wedding soup with turkey meatballs

Let’s just call this ‘Magic Soup.’

No, not magic like ‘potion-style voodoo’ magic. Magic in the sense that my four year old asks me to make ‘his favorite soup with the green spinach’ at least once a week.

Wait, a four year old asking for spinach soup? Yup, that’s the best kind of magic you could ever imagine.

Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs
(makes 4 – 6 servings)
Turkey Meatballs:
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp granulated onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 finely grated fresh apple or pear (This is my secret power ingredient, adds a tiny bit of sweetness and extra moisture. Peel the apple then grate it using the fine mesh section of a cheese grater)
Soup:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion (minced)
1 stalk celery (diced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
12 oz baby spinach (washed, trimmed and chopped)
32 oz reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup Israeli couscous (uncooked)
Salt & pepper to taste

To make the meatballs, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients and mix together using your hands until thoroughly combined. Roll the mixture into small, 1″ round meatballs and arrange in a single layer on the sheet pan.

Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion and celery and sweat them until they become translucent. Add the garlic and chopped spinach and stir to combine. Saute for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the couscous and cook for 6 – 8 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Add the cooked turkey meatballs, a dash of salt and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. To serve, top with a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan and some crusty bread.

Abra Cadabra. Hocus Pocus. Magic Soup, all up in this hizzy.

OMFG. SO GOOD.