With Old Man Winter refusing to give us a break and frigid cold temperatures in the single digits across most of North America, with no warm up in sight; we thought this weekend was a great time to try our Italian Wedding soup from Food Network Chopped Champion Chef Joe Rego.
Since staying warm and out of the cold is at the top our list for this weekend we thought it might be at the top of yours as well. It’s the perfect weekend to stay home and invite friends over for a game night and a bowl of this bold and hearty soup.
To complete this meal add a hard roll and a glass of red wine. Chef Joe Rego suggests pairing his Italian Wedding soup with a Barbera, Barbaresco or Primitivo wine; all of which he promises will enhance and complement the delicious flavors of the soup nicely.
Joe Rego’s Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 Large yellow onion – diced ¼ inch
- 1 Cup of carrots – diced ¼ inch
- 1 Cup of celery – diced ¼ inch
- 1 Tbsp of chopped fresh garlic
- 2 Tbsp of fresh oregano – chopped
- 1 LB Italian sausage
- 1 Small can of white beans
- ½ Cup of orzo pasta
- 1 Cup of crushed whole peeled tomatoes in a can
- 2 Cups of fresh baby spinach
- 3 Tbsp of kosher salt
- 6 Cups of beef broth (1 and half 32 oz boxes)
Directions:
- In the Kitchen Charm 6 Qt Dutch Oven turn heat to medium heat, cook and crumble sausage until browned. Drain off excess fat and return sausage to pot.
- Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic, cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the fresh chopped oregano and beef broth, cover with Redy-cook Valve open.
- When valve whistles add beans, tomatoes, orzo, spinach and salt.
- Replace lid with Redy-cook Valve closed turn heat down to medium low and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.