Yesterday wasn't cold but it was overcast and drizzly and looked cold,
if you were sitting in air-conditioning and looking at it through a
window. So it felt like soup weather. I've gotten Italian wedding soup
in cans before and I like the idea--broth, small noodles, meat balls,
green stuff--but who wants to go shopping after work on a Monday
evening? And who wants to eat canned soup? And, besides, I had a bunch
of that stuff at home.
I'd like to think that whatever points Gordon Ramsay wouldn't give me for authenticity or flavor, he might be induced to give me for resourcefulness and ingenuity. I mean, I could have come home and eaten corn flakes for dinner, right? Instead, I made an effort to inspire store-brand frozen meatballs and powdered cheese to new and higher achievements.
I'd like to think that whatever points Gordon Ramsay wouldn't give me for authenticity or flavor, he might be induced to give me for resourcefulness and ingenuity. I mean, I could have come home and eaten corn flakes for dinner, right? Instead, I made an effort to inspire store-brand frozen meatballs and powdered cheese to new and higher achievements.
It was a lot better than it looks, I swear.
None of these measurements are precise. Eyeball it. It's soup--you can't mess it up that badly.
Frozen meatballs (7 large HEB brand meatballs, which I think is about a pound, thawed)
Frozen turnip greens (about four ounces, thawed)
Chicken, vegetable, or turkey broth (about eight cups)
Orecchiete (about a cup) or other smallish noodles
Kraft "Parmesan" (about two tablespoons)
Monterrey Jack (about a quarter of a cup)
1/2 onion
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
1 egg
White wine vinegar (tablespoon. Could have used 1/4 cup of actual white wine but I don't keep it around)
Seasonings: Parsley, marjoram, basil, nutmeg, salt, pepper (all
dried. I didn't measure; I put in a small shake of nutmeg and pepper
and big shakes of everything else until it tasted OK)
Olive oil (tablespoon-ish)
Heat oil. Chop onion and press garlic; saute until slightly brown. If
meatballs are large, cut them into quarters (eighths, whatever. Depends
on the size of the meatballs and your whims. HEB meatballs are 2-3 inches in diameter) and brown the pieces along with the onion
and garlic. Add broth. Bring to a boil and add noodles. When noodles
are almost done, add greens, seasonings, and vinegar or wine. Cook until noodles are done.
Remove from heat. Toss cheeses together. Beat egg with 3 tablespoons cheese mixture and whisk into soup.
Serve topped with more cheese mixture. Made 4 meal-sized servings.
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