Italian week of wonder Day #3

Here we are again ladies and gentleman! Time for another recipe from my Italian week of wonder.

Today we have:

CHICKEN MEATBALL AND VEGETABLE SOUP

The recipe:

6 oz ground chicken

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

6 tbsp finely grated Parmesan

4 cloves of garlic, 2 minced, 2 thinly sliced

2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

1 large egg

salt

pepper

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 leek, white and green parts only, sliced into 1/4"rounds

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup ditalini or other small pasta 

1 cup 1/2" rounds peeled carrots

1 cup baby spinach

chopped fresh basil

• Mix chicken, breadcrumbs, 3 tbsp Parmesan, 2 minced garlic cloves, chives, egg, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a medium bowl. Form into 1/2"-diameter meatballs.
• Heat oil in a small pot over medium heat, cook meatballs until golden all over, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate' set aside.
• Add leek to pot and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves; cook for 1 minute. Add broth and 2 cups of water; bring to a boil. Stir in pasta and carrots; simmer until pasta is almost al dente, about 8 minutes. Add meatballs; simmer until pasta is al dente, carrots are tender and meatballs are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and remaining 3 tbsp Parmesan; stir until spinach is wilted and Parmesan is melted. Season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped basil and Parmesan. 

I am a HUGE soup lover and I could not wait to make this recipe. I live in South Florida where it's constantly hot but I couldn't help imagine sipping on this soup during an cold autumn or winter day. I prepared everything together and this recipe took me about 45 minutes to make. Instead of ground chicken I used turkey and instead of chicken broth, I used vegetable broth. I wasn't able to find the type of pasta they were talking about, so I used a bow tie pasta which worked just as well. 

If you are a fan of the Italian wedding soup, then you will LOVE this recipe. It had tons of flavor and between three adult sized women, the entire pot was emptied that night. Great soup to make!