Chef Johns Italian Wedding Soup

Don’t wait for a wedding to make this delicious and comforting soup with kale, tiny pasta, and tender little beef meatballs.

Step: 1

Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large, heavy pot over high heat; brown beef shank slice in hot oil until seared and browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Add onion, carrot, celery, water, bay leaf, 3 cloves peeled garlic, and black peppercorns; bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until meat falls off the bone and stock turns brown in color, 4 to 5 hours. Add more water if beef stock level gets below about 5 cups.

Step: 2

Place beef short ribs into freezer until firm and very cold, about 15 minutes. Cut meat into cubes and return to freezer until almost frozen, about 30 more minutes.

Step: 3

Whisk egg with parsley, 2 cloves garlic, and cream in a bowl. Stir in bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Step: 4

Place partially-frozen beef cubes into food processor and pulse with with 1/3 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper until beef is coarsely ground, 5 to 10 pulses. Pulse in bread crumb mixture until mixture is finely ground, about 5 more pulses. Transfer meat to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Step: 5

Strain beef stock into a large soup pot, discarding beef and vegetables. Mix chicken broth into beef stock and whisk in tomato paste. Bring broth mixture to a simmer and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir kale into broth; simmer kale until tender, about 15 minutes.

Step: 6

Scoop 2-teaspoon portions of the meat mixture and roll into meatballs.

Step: 7

Pour pastina into the simmering soup, cook for 5 minutes, and gently add meatballs. Simmer until meatballs are cooked through and tender, about 15 minutes. Serve in bowls garnished with a pinch of black pepper or a sprinkle of shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Per Serving: 214 calories; protein 14.5g; carbohydrates 16.8g; fat 10.2g; cholesterol 47mg; sodium 712.9mg.

The word “stew” can refer to both a dish and a cooking method. Stewing involves slowly cooking chunks of meat, raw fruit or beans in a tastefull liquid . It’s similar to braising, instead it makes have a few notable differences. The raw animal vested is chopped into smaller pieces but of being cooked whole , and the water based material all of it covers the essential in a stew as different to a braise’s halfway full . When meat or raw fruit are cooked using this method, the resulting dish is called stew.

Stew has a perception for being a rib-sticking eating process that comfortable you up on a cold , winter day. It’s right that ; a bowl of classic beef stew does have warming featured food , but stew’s comfort factor goes way beyond protecting you from the cold . It’s all about those soft and chunks of food and vegetables, swimming in a thick, ultra-rich gravy. The more they come together make the ultimate comfort food, no matter the weather.