Italian Wedding Soup

We are loving soups and stews and chilis around here lately. We have had a lot of colder weather and soups and such are just perfect. Plus they are a bit easier for me to cook as I still heal up my back. So, while searching for another great, hearty soup to make, I found this one. I love the meatballs in this and it comes together easily! Definitely give this one a try. I did use ground turkey and turkey sausage as well as whole wheat bread crumbs and whole wheat noodles. I was trying to clean the soup up a bit! We served it with whole wheat crusty rolls. Perfect hearty, yet healthy meal.

ENJOY!

Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
3/4 lb. ground chicken-I used gr. turkey
1/2 lb. Italian sausage-I used turkey sausage
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs-I used ww panko
2 tsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp. milk
1 egg, lightly beaten-I used egg beaters
Kosher salt and black pepper

For the soup:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup 1/4-inch diced carrots
3/4 cup 1/4-inch diced celery
8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta-I used ww elbow (all i had on hand)
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
7 oz. baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, Italian sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl.  Mix gently with a fork until well combined.  Form the mixture into 1- to 1 1/4-inch meatballs and place onto the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned.  Set aside.
In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and wine and bring to a boil.  Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6-8 minutes or until al dente.  Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 additional minute.  Taste for seasoning, and adjust salt and pepper as necessary.  Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted.  Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

---