Chicken Soup with Meatballs and Farro

I have never made homemade chicken soup in my life. But today, I woke up with a cold and figured I'd give it a try. I wanted a really hearty and filling soup that would provide multiple meals. My mom and grandma have always made chicken soup with tiny meatballs, and since meatballs really improve everything, I knew I needed to add some. So I called my mom for some chicken soup advice and she recommended I find a stewing chicken instead of a roasting chicken. Apparently stewing chickens are smaller and have more fat, which makes for a more flavorful soup. She also recommended I puree the aromatic veggies to give it a nice yellow color.

It's traditional to add noodles or pasta to chicken soup, but I find that pasta in soup just doesn't last well. It starts to get really soggy and disintegrate after the first day, and since I knew this soup would make ample leftovers, I wanted something a little tougher. I used farro because it stands up well in soup and is packed with filling fiber. I also added kale to squeeze in some leafy greens.

So how did it turn out? I now know why people go to the trouble of making homemade chicken soup instead of just buying it. It was so good, and warming and comforting. The perfect thing for a cold, rainy day. The hot soup with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes helped to clear up my congestion right away.

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Classic Meatballs

Over the years I have given this recipe to almost every one of my friends. Most people think these are time consuming or difficult to make, but they are quite quick and easy. This recipe actually makes a double batch. I freeze half in a tupperware container to use for future dinners. I usually shoot for golf ball sized meatballs, but you can make larger or smaller depending on how you want to use them. There are three key secrets to great meatballs.

Secrets and recipe after the jump.
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Italian Wedding Soup

I was feeling a bit under the weather this morning so I decided to whip up a batch of flavorful soup. Wedding soup is a mistranslation of the italian phrase ministra maritata which literally translated means "married soup", referring to the fact that green veggies and meat go so well together.

My version eliminates most of the fat and salt of the traditional recipe and adds some additional protein and fiber. I substitute kale for spinach or escarole because kale is a bit tougher and more flavorful. It holds its texture well and compliments the spicy meatballs. This savory soup is the ultimate winter comfort food, but each generous serving has less than 300 calories!

Full recipe after the jump!

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