A heartwarming Italian-American classic featuring tiny, tender meatballs, leafy greens, and delicate pasta all simmered in a rich chicken broth. It's the perfect cozy meal for a chilly day, full of comforting flavors and textures.
Prep25 min
Cook35 min
Servings4
Serving size: 1.5 cups
554cal
35gprotein
28gcarbs
33g
Ingredients
0.5 lb ground beef (80/20 lean to fat ratio recommended)
0.5 lb ground pork
0.5 cup plain breadcrumbs
0.25 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated, plus more for serving)
Bake a perfect loaf of crusty, artisan-style bread with this incredibly simple recipe. It requires just four basic ingredients and minimal effort for a beautiful, bakery-quality result featuring a chewy, open crumb and a deeply golden, crackly crust. The magic lies in a long, slow fermentation, not in kneading.
About Italian Wedding Soup with No-Knead Crusty Bread
Hearty, gut-friendly Italian Wedding Soup with crusty bread – comfort food for the soul!
This italian_american dish is perfect for dinner. With 734.6 calories and 42.13g of protein per serving, it's a nutritious choice for your meal plan.
fat
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pcs yellow onion (medium, finely chopped)
2 pcs carrots (medium, finely diced)
2 pcs celery ribs (finely diced)
8 cup low-sodium chicken broth
0.5 cup acini di pepe pasta
1 pcs escarole (medium head, washed and roughly chopped)
Instructions
1
Prepare the Meatballs
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, 2 tbsp of the chopped parsley, the beaten egg, 1 minced garlic clove, 0.5 tsp salt, and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
Gently mix with your hands until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the meatballs tough.
Roll the mixture into small meatballs, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter. A small cookie scoop can help keep them uniform. You should have about 30-40 meatballs. Set them aside on a plate or baking sheet.
2
Build the Soup Base (Soffritto)
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery (the soffritto). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent, about 6-8 minutes.
Add the remaining 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for another minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
3
Simmer the Soup and Cook Meatballs
Pour the chicken broth into the pot and increase the heat to bring it to a gentle boil.
Season the broth with the remaining 0.75 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
Carefully drop the meatballs one by one into the simmering broth. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
4
Add Pasta and Greens
Stir in the acini di pepe pasta. Continue to simmer until the pasta is al dente, which typically takes 8-10 minutes, or according to the package directions.
Once the pasta is nearly cooked, stir in the chopped escarole. Cook for 2-3 minutes, just until the greens have wilted into the soup.
5
Serve and Garnish
Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
Ladle the hot soup into bowls.
Garnish with the remaining 1 tbsp of fresh parsley and a generous sprinkle of extra Parmesan cheese before serving.
Servings8
Serving size: 1 slice
181cal
7gprotein
36gcarbs
1gfat
Ingredients
400 g Bread Flour (About 3 1/4 cups. All-purpose flour can be substituted.)
1 g Instant Yeast (About 1/4 teaspoon.)
8 g Fine Sea Salt (About 1 1/2 teaspoons.)
350 g Lukewarm Water (About 1 1/2 cups. Temperature should be 95-105°F (35-40°C).)
Instructions
1
Mix the Dough (5 minutes)
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour, instant yeast, and fine sea salt until well combined.
Pour in the lukewarm water. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix until a shaggy, sticky, and wet dough forms. Ensure there are no dry patches of flour left.
Do not knead. The dough will look messy and unstructured; this is correct.
2
First Rise (12-18 hours)
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a reusable silicone lid. A shower cap also works well.
Let the dough rise at a warm, draft-free room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.
The dough is ready when it has more than doubled in size, the surface is dotted with bubbles, and it jiggles when you shake the bowl.
3
Shape and Second Rise (30-60 minutes)
Generously flour a work surface. Use a dough scraper to release the very sticky dough from the bowl onto the floured surface.
With floured hands, gently fold the dough over on itself 2-3 times to form a rough ball. This creates surface tension. Do not overwork it.
Place the dough, seam-side down, on a piece of parchment paper. Loosely cover it and let it rest.
4
Preheat Oven and Dutch Oven (30 minutes)
While the dough is having its second rise, place a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven with its lid in your oven.
Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). It is crucial that the pot gets extremely hot for at least 30 minutes.
5
Bake the Bread (45-50 minutes)
Once preheated, very carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid.
Using the parchment paper as a sling, lower the dough into the hot pot.
Optional: Use a sharp knife or bread lame to score a 1/2-inch deep slash across the top of the dough.
Cover the pot with the lid and return it to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 205-210°F (96-99°C).
6
Cool Completely (1-2 hours)
Carefully remove the bread from the Dutch oven and place it on a wire cooling rack.
Let the bread cool completely, for at least 1 hour, before slicing. This step is essential for the crumb to set properly and prevents a gummy texture.
