This delicious soup features meatballs cooked in chicken broth with chopped curly endive and swirls of thin threads of cooked egg mixed with Parmesan cheese.

Despite the soup's name, Italians do not 'traditionally' serve this soup on their wedding day. The term 'wedding soup' is an error in translation of the Italian name, 'minestra maritata', which actually means 'married soup', a reference to the fact that green vegetables and meat go well together...like a good marriage!

Wedding Soup

Meatballs:

8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces ground pork
1 small onion, finely minced

1 slice white bread, crumbled

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Soup:
12 cups chicken broth
1 pound curly endive, coarsely chopped
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish

1. For Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ingredients, mixing well. Shape meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs, place on a baking sheet and set aside.
2. For the Soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and curly endive and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the curly endive is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Beat the eggs and cheese together in bowl.
4. Stir the soup while gradually drizzling the egg mixture into the broth. Stir gently with a fork for about a minute to form thin stands of egg.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Serve soup hot garnished with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Makes 6 servings.