I love making this soup when it’s cold outside. I usually make it the the day after we had a roasted chicken for dinner. I use the left overs for chicken stock and any left over chicken pieces in the soup. I really don’t have a recipe, it’s a creation from one of my best friends and Ina Garten’s  recipe as a baseline. I will try to create it as best I can. You can adjust it any way you want.

For the meatballs: You can add what ever ingredients you usually add to your meatball, since they will be in the soup I didn’t go crazy

3/4 pound of ground beef ( I used 80% lean)

2/3 cup of Italian bread crumbs

1 egg

tablespoon of garlic powder

tablespoon of onion powder

salt and pepper

For the soup:

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup of minced onion

2 cloves of garlic minced (optional)

3 carrots chopped

2 stalks of celery chopped

8 to 10 cups of homemade or store bought chicken stock

1/2 cup of dry white wine

1/2 cup or up to 1 cup of small pasta (I used stars)

1/2 cup of parsley (optional) or you can add 12 oz of baby spinach

Preheat the oven to 350F. For the meatballs place all the ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands mix all till it forms a dough like form. If I feel it’s too wet I add a little more bread crumbs, if it feels too dry I add another egg.  Form bite sized balls and place on a cookie sheet.

They don’t have to be perfect. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or till lightly browned. Set aside.

Meanwhile heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onions, celery and carrots. Saute till softened for a bout 5 minutes or so. Add the garlic if using and saute for another minute. Add the wine and the stock and bring to a boil.

Once it starts boiling add the pasta and cook till pasta is tender for about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the spinach if using. Add the meatballs and the chicken. Simmer on low heat till everything is heated through.

Add the parsley before serving. Serve in soup bowls and grate some Parmesan cheese if desired.