ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP WITH VENISON MEATBALLS

I’m not sure why I didn’t made this soup sooner! Perfect to go with the winter storm that just came through.

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground venison

• 1/4 of a yellow onion, finely diced

• 1/2 cup Italian style Panko breadcrumbs

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

• 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano

• 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan

• 1 large egg

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup

• 1 cup diced carrots

• 3/4 of a yellow onion, finely diced

• 1/2 cup diced celery

• 2 tbsp minced garlic

• 64 oz. low-sodium chicken broth

• 1/2 cup Orzo pasta

• 6 oz fresh spinach, chopped

• Finely shredded parmesan, for serving

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add in venison, panko breadcrumbs, parsley, oregano, parmesan, egg, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix with hands until evenly mixed.

2. Shape mixture into very small meatballs, about 3/4 inch. Set aside on plate.

3. In a large skillet, drizzle oil and heat to medium high. (Add as many meatballs as will fit. You may need to do two rounds depending on skillet size.) Cook until browned, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes total.

4. Transfer meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels.

5. In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt oil or butter then add carrots, onions and celery and saute until veggies have softened about 6 - 8 minutes.

6. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.

7. Pour in chicken broth, season soup with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture to a boil. Add in orzo and meatballs, then reduce heat to light boil.

8. Cover and cook until orzo is tender and meatballs have cooked through, about 10 minutes.

9. Add in spinach during the last minute of cooking. Serve warm, sprinkle each serving with parmesan cheese.