Although the name Italian wedding soup indicates that this particular soup is served at a wedding, but actually it is a mistranslation of minista maritata, as the soup is called in Italian. Maritata in Italian means marriage, and this refers to the "marriage" of the meat and greens in the soup. There are many different variations of this filling soup, but the main ingredients are meatballs and greens like escaroles, endives, spinach, or kale. Traditionally, the recipe calls for the soup being cooked for over three days. On the first day, fresh chicken stock is prepared, on the second day the meatballs are made from scratch and on the third day all the ingredients of the soup are added to the simmering pot of chicken stock. Recipe for Italian Wedding Soup Ingredients for Meatballs

• White bread, 4 slices
• Ground beef, 500 gm.
• Milk, ½ cup
• Egg, 1
• Medium-sized onion, 1 (grated)
• Garlic, 8 cloves (minced)
• Parsley, 1 tbsp. (dried)
• Salt, 1½ tsp.
• Black pepper, ½ tbsp. (freshly ground)
• Parmesan, 4 tbsp. (grated)

Ingredients for soup

• Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp.
• Garlic, 2 cloves (minced)
• Carrots, 2 cups (diced)
• Spinach, 2 cups (chopped)
• Oregano, ½ tsp. (dried)
• Homemade chicken stock, 15 cups
• Medium-sized onions, 2 (diced)
• Salt, 1 tbsp.
• Black pepper, 1½ tbsp. (freshly ground)
• Uncooked pasta like ditallini or fusilli, 2½ cups

Method To make the meatballs, first mix the ground beef with salt, milk, egg, grated onion, minced garlic, and freshly ground black pepper until everything is thoroughly combined. Cover this mixture with a cling film and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator and knead the meatball mixture. Now grease your hand with a bit of olive oil, and shape tiny meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. Place the meatballs on a lightly grease cookie sheet and refrigerate. In a heavy bottomed large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and stir fry the diced onions and carrots for a few minutes until the onions are translucent and it becomes golden brown in color. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Now add the chicken stock along with the oregano and let this mixture simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. When the chicken stock has reduced, add the spinach and cook for another 10 minutes. When the spinach is cooked, gently add the meatballs into the soup and simmer for 20 minutes until the meatballs are juicy and succulent. Now add the pasta of your choice into the soup and cook until its al dente. Check the seasonings and add more salt and pepper if required. Serve the soup in individual soup bowls with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Easy Italian Wedding Soup Ingredients

• Fat-free chicken broth, 2 cans
• Frozen mini Italian meatballs, 1 package
• Baby carrots, 1½ cups
• Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp.
• Medium-sized onion, 1 (diced)
• Spinach, 2 cups (chopped)
• Large egg, 1
• Garlic powder, 1 tbsp.
• Cannellini beans, 1 can
• Celery, 2 stalks (chopped)
• Parmesan, 3 tbsp. (grated)
• Italian seasoning, 1 tsp.
• Salt, ½ tbsp.
• Black pepper, 1 tbsp. (freshly ground)

Method Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot. Add the diced onion and the chopped celery and stir fry them until the onions turn slightly golden brown. Add the baby carrots and cook them until they are tender. Add the garlic powder and Italian seasoning along with the chicken broth and simmer this mixture for 10 to 15 minutes. Now add the frozen chopped spinach and the meatballs and allow to cook for another 15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans and add them to the soup. In a medium-sized bowl, lightly beat the egg with a bit of salt and pepper. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and whisk the egg and cheese until you get a frothy mixture. Now reduce the heat of the soup, and add the cheese and egg mixture into it, taking care to stir the soup constantly. Cook the soup for another 2 to 3 minutes and serve in shallow soup bowls. For the meatballs you can use different types of ground or minced meat like beef, pork, turkey, and veal. The meatballs can also be fried or baked before adding them to the hot stock. If you are adding pasta to the soup recipe make sure that you add the pasta towards the end as overcooking the pasta might make it soft and mushy.