Escarole Soup with Balls of Meat

Credit: Todd Coleman

My husband never calls a meat ball a meat ball.  It's always a ball of meat.  Anyway, this is a terrific soup.  Use brown rice if you like, use turkey sausage taken out of the casings, use al dente elbow pasta.  Make it your own.  Mangia!

SERVES 8–10

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground beef
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
½ cup grated parmesan, plus more
½ cup grated pecorino
½ cup olive oil
1 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, plus 1, minced
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced, plus 1, minced
1 small bunch parsley, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 large heads escarole, cored and cut into 2″ pieces
8 cups chicken stock
Cooked white rice, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix beef, bread crumbs, parmesan, pecorino, ¼ cup oil, seasoning, minced garlic and onion, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Form into 30, 1 ½″ meatballs; chill.

2. Heat remaining oil in an 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sliced garlic and onions; cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add escarole; cook until wilted, about 6 minutes. Add stock; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add meatballs; cook until meatballs are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over rice; top with more parmesan and black pepper.