This week we get to celebrate two different events: National Homemade Soup Day and the Super Bowl. Hence, why we are sharing a great gluten-free Italian wedding soup recipe that will work for any occasion. A meal in a bowl perfect to enjoy any day of the week or during the big game.
Since we aren’t using the actual chicken in this recipe and boiling it to make stock only, you can easily turn it into game-time food to accompany the soup or make it as a meal on it’s own. More on that later. Let’s get to souping.
Ingredients:
Stock:
- 1 whole chicken – about 5 lbs
- 2 carrots, washed and peeled
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 4 celery stocks cleaned
- 1 whole onion, roots removed, but skin left on washed
- 3 cloves of garlic
Meatballs:
- 3/4 lb lean ground beef
- 1/4 c gluten-free breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp minced parsley or parsley past
- 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, granulated onion, and granulated garlic
- 1 large egg
Soup:
- 3 carrots diced
- 4 ribs of celery diced
- 2 onions diced
- 150g (1/2 package) of frozen chopped spinach
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
- Gluten-free chicken bouillon
- Parmesan cheese for topping
- 400g Rummo Stelline No. 22 gluten-free pasta or other small gluten free pasta
Directions:
Stock:
- Fill a large pot about 3/4 full with water- enough to cover your raw chicken.
- Add in onions, celery, and carrots.
Tip: You keep the skin on one of the onions in order to give the broth a richer colour.
- Simmer on medium/med-high heat for three hours. Stir regularly.
- While chicken and vegetables are boiling, prep your vegetables and meatballs so they are ready.
- Also, ensure your chicken is always covered by water.
Meatballs :
- Mix meat, seasoning, breadcrumbs, parsley and eggs until fully combined.
- Roll into tiny 1/4 inch meatballs.
Tip: Be sure to roll balls tightly because you don’t want them opening and falling apart when cooking in the soup. This means roll them for a few extra seconds.
Gluten-Free Italian Wedding Soup:
- Gently remove the boiled chicken and set it aside in a bowl to cool for use in another recipe.
- Take out a second large pot or a bowl, place a fine mesh strainer or colander lined with cheese cloth over this vessel.
- Pour your broth through the strainer into the other bowl or pot.
- Wash and dry the pot you boiled chicken and stock in and pour the strainer stock back into it.
- Discard the boiled vegetables you used to make the stock.
- On medium heat, add in the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Check for seasoning, add good quality chicken bouillon, to enhance the stock.
- Cook for one hour, stir regularly.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a gentle boil and carefully add in your raw meatballs.
- Allow to cook for another 30 minutes on medium heat.
- Add in your frozen spinach and let cook until spinach has thawed and incorporated into the soup-stirring regularly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- At this point you can take soup out and cool it to keep in your fridge or to even freeze.
- Turn your remaining soup up to high and bring to a boil.
- In a measuring cup, or bowl beat together 3 eggs, salt, and pepper.
- Once soup is boiling, using a fork drop thin strands of egg into soup for an egg drop effect. Continue until all the egg has been slowly dropped into the boiling soup.
- Set a separate pot of salted water to boil the gluten-free pasta for the soup.
- Allow to boil 5 more minutes stirring well and then ladle over a serving of your favourite gluten-free pasta (pastina) for soup.
- Serve with Parmesan cheese for those that want to top their soup with extra cheese.
Chef Notes:
- You can use the meat from the whole chicken that was not used in this Gluten-Free Italian Wedding Soup recipe for a number of dishes including chicken salad, chicken pot pie, or shredded barbecue chicken.
- If you shred the boiled chicken and toss it with your favourite gluten-free barbecue sauce you can turn it into a sandwich, taco, or quesadilla. The sandwiches or quesadillas would make for a perfect game day accompaniment for the soup.
- This soup, minus the egg drop, freezes really well and can last up to four months in the freezer. Be sure to label your containers well with the name of the item and date made. Also, be sure to add it to your freezer list so you can use it in a timely manner.
- Leftovers from this Gluten-Free Italian Wedding Soup recipe, including the egg drop, will reheat well another day for lunch or for other dinner.
This delicious and filling gluten-free Italian wedding soup recipe can be enjoyed on its own, or served along side a sandwich or other accompaniment. It also makes for a lovely appetizer for a more formal meal. This soup is a crowd pleaser whether it’s served for National Soup Day, Super Bowl, or any regular dinner. You may also want to try our gluten-free cream of broccoli soup recipe.
Have you tried this gluten-free Italian wedding soup recipe? Did you enjoy it? What are you planning on making for the big game? Please leave a comment below to let us know.
Be well and be kind to your self and others.