Mom's Escarole Soup

Which is basically our chicken soup recipe but with mini meatballs and escarole added!

MOM'S ESCAROLE SOUP

• 6 Large Chicken Breasts (with lots of skin)

• 6 Boxes Chicken Broth

• 2 Bags of Escarole

• 1 Box of Orzo or Pastina (or just omit if you prefer it without pasta)

• 1 Bag of Celery Hearts (chopped)

• 2 Bags of Baby Carrots (chopped) or frozen crinkle cut carrots

• 1 Large Red Onion (diced)

• 1/2 Bunch of Fresh Parsley (finely chopped)

• Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Mini Meatballs:

• 2 1/2 lbs. of meatloaf mixture (beef, veal & pork)

• 2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 4 tablespoons fresh parsley

• 4 tablespoons fresh basil

• 1 cup Locatelli cheese

• 1 cup Italian-Style Breadcrumbs (wet with water/milk)

• 2 eggs (my general rule of thumb is 2 eggs per pack of meat)

• Salt & Pepper (to taste)

• Canola/Olive Oil (I use Canola oil to fry in but you can also use half canola/half olive oil. If you use vegetable oil, that's fine, too!)

Directions (mini meatballs):

1. Mix beef, veal & pork mixture with crushed/minced garlic, garlic powder, parsley, basil, Locatelli cheese, wet breadcrumbs, eggs, salt & pepper.

2. Roll into small balls and place on a sheet pan sprayed with Pam and bake on 400 degrees until golden brown.

3. Remove meatballs and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel (to drain excess oil).

Directions (soup):

1. Cover chicken breasts with water in a large soup pot and bring chicken to a rolling boil (skimming the top often). Let boil for approximately 30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

2. Remove chicken and set aside to cool (pot should only be about 1/4 full with "water" once chicken is removed). Once chicken has cooled, remove skin and bones and shred with a fork or chop with a knife and set aside.

3. Add chicken broth, diced carrots, celery, onion, parsley, salt & pepper and let simmer for about an hour.

4. Boil 2 bags of escarole (separately) for about 15 minutes, drain and add to soup.

5. Add most of the chicken back to broth and let simmer for a little while (I leave some out to make homemade chicken salad adding just celery, mayonnaise, salt & pepper and served on soft, white bread).

6. Add meatballs to soup.

Serve with Locatelli cheese and a nice loaf of round bread! Yum!

Note: Freeze the rest for up to a year. You can omit the pasta or add it later as you use your frozen containers so the pasta doesn't get too soft!