Wedding Soup

This terrific soup features meatballs in chicken broth with chopped escarole, pasta and swirls of thin threads of cooked egg.

Recipe Ingredients:

Meatballs:
8 ounces lean ground beef
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 slice bread, soaked in milk, and squeezed dry
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Soup:
4 cups chicken broth
1 head escarole, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
!/2 cup pastina, or other very small shaped pasta
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

Cooking Directions:

1. For Meatballs: Combine all the meatball ingredients and form into balls 1-inch in diameter. Set aside.
2. For Soup: Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the escarole, onion, and meatballs. Cook about 3 minutes.
3. Add the pastina and cook 4 to 5 minutes.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Whisk the egg mixture into gently simmering broth. Cook for 2 more minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings.