One of my all time favorite meals!  This soup will win anyone’s heart with its hearty, full flavor!  Try doubling the meatball recipe and saving half for another meal.  From Barefoot Contessa’s Back to Basics cookbook.  Serves 10-12.

Recipe

For the Meatballs

3/4 pounds ground chicken

1/2 pound chicken sausage (I like the Italian flavored)

2/3 cups fresh bread crumbs

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

3 tablespoons milk

1 large egg beaten

Kosher sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

For the Soup

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 cup minced onion

1 cup 1/4-inch diced carrots

1 cup 1/4-inch diced celery

10 cups organic chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or macaroni

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

12 ounces baby spinach, prewashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, cheese, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork.  With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  (You should have about 40 meatballs.  They don’t have to be perfectly round).  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, celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the chicken stock and wine bring to a boil.  Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6-8 minutes, until pasta is tender.  Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minutes.  taste for salt and pepper.  Stir in fresh spinach and cook for another minute, until spinach has just wilted.  Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese.

Rich, creamy and comforting! Perfect soup on those cold winter days!

Recipe

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup flour

2 breasts chicken

1 lb. gnocchi

4 cups chicken broth

1 and 1/2 cups half and half

4 cups fresh spinach

1 tablespoon fresh basil

Parmesan

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

In a skillet or shallow pan melt butter and add olive oil. Saute the onion, carrots, celery and garlic.  Add a 1 teaspoon salt. Once the onions are translucent add the flour. Cook for one minute stirring constantly. Add 1 of the cups of chicken broth and mix until thickened.  Transfer to the slow cooker.  Add the remaining chicken broth, gnocchi, half and half and chicken.  Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4.  Add the spinach and basil. Heat through for a few minutes, add salt if needed, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Serve.