Escarole and Meatball Soup

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Photo: Beatriz Da Costa
Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Servings:
4

Simmer herbed meatballs with escarole and kidney beans for a soothing soup. Stir in some of our Parsley-Walnut Pesto for added flavor.

Ingredients

  • 2 slices white bread, crusts removed

  • ¼ cup whole milk

  • ½ pound ground pork

  • ½ pound ground beef

  • cup finely chopped onion

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • ¼ cup dried currants

  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped

  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

  • 1 head escarole (about 6 ounces), cut into ½-inch pieces

  • 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed

  • 1 small dried chile pepper, crumbled

Directions

  1. Soak bread with milk in a small bowl for 2 minutes. Squeeze excess moisture from bread, and tear into small pieces. Stir meats, soaked bread, onion, garlic, currants, and oregano in a large bowl until well mixed; season with salt and pepper. Roll into 1 1/4-inch balls.

  2. Heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Cook meatballs, turning often, until browned and cooked through, 12 minutes.

  3. Bring stock to a boil in a medium pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add meatballs, escarole, beans, and chile; cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Variations

Martha doubled all the ingredients for this recipe on the show. Serves 8.

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