Happy New Year to all!  I hope you all had wonderful holidays.  While I hate to see the Holiday season come to a close, I must admit that I am always ready for some detox and renewal when January 1st comes around.    Nothing says this better than soup.  I made lentil soup (recipe can be found on blog) January 1st (Italian good luck);  Minestra e fagioli soup (also found on blog) last night;  and tonight I am going to make this Italian escarole and tiny meatball soup, which I made recently, and frankly, forgot how much I love this soup.  To be honest, I have never made this soup, and my recollections of it come out of a Progresso Soup can.   How embarrassing!

Recently my son asked me about this soup.  He had bought it at the soup bar at Whole Foods and loved it, and wondered why I don’t make this regularly.  Not to be outdone by Whole Foods (especially when it comes to my son’s culinary desires), I decided to hunt for a recipe.  Before I could even do so, a bowl of this delicious soup appeared before me at a dinner party at my sister-in-law’s house one evening.  What a coincidence!  I asked her for the recipe and being the terrific cook that she is, I was able to outdo Whole Foods!  Why this unexplained competition with Whole Foods?  I’m not sure, but  I believe it’s the containers of frozen soup in the freezer that keep my grown children stopping by.  It’s a small price to pay for a visit.    I just wish they’d return the containers!!

Happy renewal and a wonderful 2014!!

RECIPE: about 6 to 8 servings

6 quarts homemade chicken broth ( of course it can be store bought)

2 medium heads of escarole ( heads of escarole really vary in size, so it should weigh about 2 lbs)

3 carrots, chopped

Meatballs:

1 1/2  pound ground veal or beef (definitely love the veal meatballs for this soup)

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup finely minced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

1 tsp salt

pepper to taste

1.  Prepare the broth, if making home-made.

2.  Wash the escarole well and rip into large bite-size pieces.

3.  In a large pot, combine the broth, carrots and the escarole.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

4.  Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs, by mixing all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Shape into tiny, bite size meatballs, and place on a platter.

5.  When the escarole is tender (about 15 to 20 minutes), gently add the meatballs one at a time into the soup.

6.  Cook over low heat, covered for about 20 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through.  Taste for seasonings.

7.  Serve hot with the grated cheese.