Cooking Lesson #285: Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup

… from the California Kitchen

How you doin’? It doesn’t have to be winter to enjoy a bowl of soup… especially a bowl from Italy. Italian Wedding Soup is a hearty, healthy and delicious soup. If you think it has something to do with Italian weddings you would be all wrong. Having said that, I’ll bet you’re wondering where and why this tasty soup got its name. If Italians actually serve this soup at their weddings, it is pure coincidence. 
 
Italian folklore romances this soup as traditionally served at Italian weddings to provide the bride and groom to “energy” throughout the evening. However, if serving this dish appeals to the romantic in you, we hate to burst your bubble, it isn’t true. The English translation got this dish all mixed up.
 
Italian Wedding Soup originated in Naples and its original Italian name is really minestra maritata, which means “married-up soup” which implies the unity of all the ingredients which consist of leafy, bitter greens (chard, kale, chicory, spinach, etc.) and a hearty meat broth with pork, beef, ham hocks or sausage. Although the Americanized version includes tiny meatballs and a little bit of greens, traditionally this soup is heavy on the veggies and doesn’t include meatballs at all. Really, there is nothing fanciful and elegant about the soup, as it was considered a peasant dish using whatever meat or chicken bits and greens were available to throw in—kind of like the old “Stone Soup Story.”
 
This is my gussied-up Americanized version of the original and I can tell by experience this is a hell of a lot better than anything I found in Naples.
 
Prep Time:  20 minutes
Cook Time:  25 minutes
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
 
For the Meatballs
1/2 pound lean ground beef (80%)
1/2 pound ground pork (or 1/4-pound ground veal and 1/4-pound ground pork)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs, homemade is best
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated into a powder
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
 
For the Soup
1-1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1-1/4 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
8 cups chicken broth (homemade is best when made in an Instant Pot)
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup dry orzo pasta
8 ounces fresh leafy spinach
 
For the Garnish
Fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
 
Directions

1. Gently combine the meatball ingredients. Don't overwork the meat.
2. Roll the meat mixture into 1-inch balls.
3. Set the Instant Pot to SAUTÉ mode and add the olive oil.
4. Brown the meatballs in batches for about 3 minutes, until all sides are brown.
5. Remove the meatballs from the pot and add the onions, carrots and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, until softened.
6. Add the garlic, sauté for 1 minute longer.
7. Add the chicken broth. Run a wooden spoon along the bottom of the pot to release the brown bits. This helps mitigate the burn indicator that we tend to see with some models of Instant Pots.
8. Add the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and meatballs.
9. Close the lid and seal the valve. PRESSURE COOK for 5 MINUTES.
10. Open the quick release valve and allow the steam to escape.
11. Open the lid and add the orzo pasta and press the SAUTÉ button. Cook for 9 MINUTES or until the orzo is tender.
12. Stir in the washed spinach.
13. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese and parsley and serve.

ChefSecret:  In step #7 you can de-glaze the pot using 1/4 cup dry white wine for a fuller flavor.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  “The longer I stay at home during the pandemic the more homeless I look.”
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