dinner tonight

adapted from the Whole Foods Recipes app

Italian Wedding Soup with Carrots, Kale and Meatballs
Serves 5 to 6

While the name indicates that the soup might be served at an Italian wedding, it is actually a mistranslation of minestra maritata, which refers to the "marriage" of greens and meat in the soup.

Ingredients
Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, beaten
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Pinch of paprika

Soup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped white onions
3/4 cup chopped carrots
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 cups shredded kale

Directions
For the meatballs, put beef, cilantro, Parmesan, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, egg, nutmeg, and paprika into a large bowl and use your hands to mix well. With damp hands, shape into 1-inch meatballs balls and transfer to a large plate. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

For the soup, melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until translucent and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes. Cover and cook 10 minutes over medium heat or until soup comes to a boil.

Add meatballs to the boiling soup and stir to make sure they are fully submerged. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes over medium heat. Stir in kale. Test a meatball to ensure that they are fully cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

A resounding "Yum!" around the table.