celery
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup dry white wine
One 14- to 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with their juice
5 cups chicken broth
Rind from Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces (optional)
3 medium zucchini, diced (about 1½ cups)
1 cup 1-inch pieces green beans
(about 5 ounces)
4 cups bite-size pieces cooked turkey or chicken
One 15-ounce can small white beans or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 head escarole, tough leaves removed, cut into 1-inch pieces, or two 10-ounce bags baby spinach
1 teaspoon salt (you will need more if you don’t use the cheese rind)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces fresh cheese tortellini, cooked according to package directions and drained
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnishing
heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
add the onion, carrots, celery, and rosemary and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the wine and allow it to boil for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes, until some of the liquid evaporates.
transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the broth and cheese rind (if using). Add the zucchini, green beans, turkey, white beans and escarole and stir to combine.
cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.
season with the salt and pepper. Stir in the cooked tortellini. Cover and cook on high for another 30 minutes or on low for 1 hour.
garnish with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese before serving.
serves 10–12
----
starchy savvy
Whenever you add pasta, rice, or other starches to a soup, make sure to cook it separately first and then add it to the soup. It will still absorb some of the liquid but will not suck up so much that there is no broth left.
Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs
This whole-meal soup is a real crowd pleaser. Filled with tiny meatballs and vegetables in a hearty chicken broth, it will warm up even the coldest day. I find this soup to be very kid friendly—meatballs floating in broth can be much like bobbing for apples for some children. If you don’t have time to make your own meatballs, buy prepared frozen mini meatballs, but make sure to defrost them before adding to the soup.
SOUP
8 cups chicken broth
4 cups coarsely chopped escarole or Swiss chard (about 1 pound)
One 15-ounce can small white beans, drained and rinsed
TURKEY MEATBALLS
(Makes about 16–20 one-inch meatballs)
2 slices soft-crusted Italian bread
¼ cup milk
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 / 8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 / 3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnishing
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg, beaten
put the broth, escarole, and beans in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low while preparing the meatballs.
put the bread a large mixing bowl, pour the milk over it, and allow it to soak in.
add the turkey, shallot, nutmeg, salt, pepper, 1 / 3 cup cheese, parsley, and egg, and stir until the mixture is combined, being careful not to compact it. Using a small scoop, form the mixture into 1-inch balls.
drop the meatballs into the slow-cooker insert. Cover and cook the soup on low for 5 hours, until the meatballs float on the surface.
skim off any foam that may have formed from the top of the soup.
serve the soup garnished with the freshly grated cheese.
serves 8
Alphabet Beef Vegetable Soup
All of us had an alphabet soup that we ate for lunch as children. It was always fun to find the letters and maybe play a game of “soup Scrabble” with your siblings. This slow-cooker version of alphabet soup is filled with beef, vegetables, and, of course, lots of alphabet noodles in a tomato-based beef broth. So sharpen up your vocabulary skills because this
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup dry white wine
One 14- to 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with their juice
5 cups chicken broth
Rind from Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces (optional)
3 medium zucchini, diced (about 1½ cups)
1 cup 1-inch pieces green beans
(about 5 ounces)
4 cups bite-size pieces cooked turkey or chicken
One 15-ounce can small white beans or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 head escarole, tough leaves removed, cut into 1-inch pieces, or two 10-ounce bags baby spinach
1 teaspoon salt (you will need more if you don’t use the cheese rind)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces fresh cheese tortellini, cooked according to package directions and drained
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnishing
heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
add the onion, carrots, celery, and rosemary and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the wine and allow it to boil for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes, until some of the liquid evaporates.
transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the broth and cheese rind (if using). Add the zucchini, green beans, turkey, white beans and escarole and stir to combine.
cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.
season with the salt and pepper. Stir in the cooked tortellini. Cover and cook on high for another 30 minutes or on low for 1 hour.
garnish with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese before serving.
serves 10–12
----
starchy savvy
Whenever you add pasta, rice, or other starches to a soup, make sure to cook it separately first and then add it to the soup. It will still absorb some of the liquid but will not suck up so much that there is no broth left.
Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs
This whole-meal soup is a real crowd pleaser. Filled with tiny meatballs and vegetables in a hearty chicken broth, it will warm up even the coldest day. I find this soup to be very kid friendly—meatballs floating in broth can be much like bobbing for apples for some children. If you don’t have time to make your own meatballs, buy prepared frozen mini meatballs, but make sure to defrost them before adding to the soup.
SOUP
8 cups chicken broth
4 cups coarsely chopped escarole or Swiss chard (about 1 pound)
One 15-ounce can small white beans, drained and rinsed
TURKEY MEATBALLS
(Makes about 16–20 one-inch meatballs)
2 slices soft-crusted Italian bread
¼ cup milk
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 / 8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 / 3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnishing
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg, beaten
put the broth, escarole, and beans in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low while preparing the meatballs.
put the bread a large mixing bowl, pour the milk over it, and allow it to soak in.
add the turkey, shallot, nutmeg, salt, pepper, 1 / 3 cup cheese, parsley, and egg, and stir until the mixture is combined, being careful not to compact it. Using a small scoop, form the mixture into 1-inch balls.
drop the meatballs into the slow-cooker insert. Cover and cook the soup on low for 5 hours, until the meatballs float on the surface.
skim off any foam that may have formed from the top of the soup.
serve the soup garnished with the freshly grated cheese.
serves 8
Alphabet Beef Vegetable Soup
All of us had an alphabet soup that we ate for lunch as children. It was always fun to find the letters and maybe play a game of “soup Scrabble” with your siblings. This slow-cooker version of alphabet soup is filled with beef, vegetables, and, of course, lots of alphabet noodles in a tomato-based beef broth. So sharpen up your vocabulary skills because this
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