Italian Wedding Soup with Pearled Barley

After coming off being sick, I wanted some soup!  Something not too heavy and full off goodness to nurse me back to the land of the living.  So, I had some ground turkey and thought some Italian Wedding soup would be good.  Normally, it is prepared with a small pasta, like pastina or orzo, but I wanted to use wheat berries or barley.  I settled on pearled barley, and it was very tasty.  The older two didn't even flinch at all the green.  Actually, the eldest said it was great!  Next time I will make it with pasta to vary it up, but it was very hearty with the barley.  (The barley does swell upon sitting)
This makes a ton of soup.  Filled my stock pan.  So we will have it for leftovers and freeze the rest for a later illness.  So, I think this is worth making for sure, when nursing one back from the land of the "mostly" dead.


ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP WITH PEARLED BARLEY


INGREDIENTS:

For the soup:

• 4 med carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• white wine for deglazing (1/3 c. ish)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 boxes low sodium chicken broth
• 2 boxes water (just fill broth boxes)
• 1 box frozen chopped spinach
• salt and pepper

For the meatballs:

• 1 lb turkey
• 3 TBSP milk
• 1/2 c. parm cheese
• handful fresh parsley chopped
• 3/4 c. Italian or fresh bread crumbs
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 2 cloves fresh garlic minced or 1 tsp garlic power (not garlic salt!)

DIRECTIONS:

Cut up your veggies and put in stock pan with drizzle of EVOO over med high heat.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes, until just getting tender and add garlic.  Let cook a minute more and deglaze with white wine as needed.  Add water and broth and garlic and onion powder.  (If using barley, add it with broth).    Bring to a boil, reduce heat to just a simmer and cover.
Meanwhile, mix all meatball ingredients together. Preheat oven to 375.  Spray sheet pan with nonstick spray.  Make tiny meatballs and place on sheet pan, leaving space between each.  Makes about 50-60 mini meatballs.  Place in preheated oven and let bake for about 20-25 minutes, turning once while baking.  Remove from oven.  (Soup will have cooked about an hour by now) If adding pasta, return soup to a boil and add pasta and spinach.  When pasta is almost cooked, add meatballs into soup and any necessary salt and pepper.  Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top with crackers or crusty bread.