recipe / #italianweddingsouprecipe

Italian Wedding Soup

Makes 12 servings

1-pound Fantasma's Finest Ground Beef

1-pound Fantasma's Finest Heritage Ground Turkey (available in our retail store)

2/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 (1-pound) bag crinkle cut carrot chips, (cut any large chips in two so carrots are roughly the same size)

12-14 cups smoked turkey or chicken stock (preferably made from a Fantasma's Finest Sugar Cured Smoked Turkey carcass, see our recipe for Smoked Turkey Noodle Soup)

1 cup whole wheat pearl couscous or

1 cup (5 ounces), or more, shredded kale

Shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine beef, turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, garlic powder and Italian herb seasoning. With your hands, combine the ingredients and form in 42 meatballs, placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake meatballs for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a stock pot, add oil and heat on medium-low heat. When the oil is warm, add the onions, celery and carrot chips and sauté until crisp tender, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Boil the stock and vegetables for 5-10 minutes, or until carrots are crisp-tender.

Add couscous and cook on low heat for 20 minutes with a cover on the pot.

When the couscous is cooked, add meatballs and kale until the kale is slightly wilted and meatballs are warmed through. Serve immediately with cheese.