Italian Wedding Soup (Zuppa Maritata) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

For the Meatballs
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley (chopped)
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic (from jar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 slice fresh white bread (no crust, torn into small pieces)
1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese (grated)
1/4 lb ground beef
1/4 lb ground pork
black pepper (freshly ground)
For the Soup
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups spinach (chopped)
1 egg
2 cups cooked rice or 2 cups barley
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon parmigiano-reggiano cheese (freshly grated, plus extra for garnish)

Preparation

To make Meatballs:
Stir ingredients together in a bowl and blend.
Using 1/2 teaspoon for each, shape the meatball mixture into little tiny meatballs.
Place the meatballs onto a large plate or baking sheet and set aside.
To make the Soup:
In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add the meatballs and spinach and simmer until the meatballs are cooked, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Add in the rice or barley.
In a medium size bowl, whisk the egg and cheese to blend.
Stir the soup in a circular motion as you gradually drizzle the egg and cheese mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin strands of egg, for about 1 minute.
Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with Parmesanno-Reggiano cheese if desired.