Shortcut Italian Wedding Soup

It’s soup weather!!

This is one of our favorite new soups, and I got to use some new ingredients I’ve never used in my whole life.

Watch the video for the recipe HERE.

I feel like the garden keeps me continually learning how to grow new foods and cook them.

I’ve been gardening for over 25 years and attempting to feed my family dinner for about that long and I STILL feel like I’m constantly learning.

If you love learning and you love food a garden is a gift that keeps on giving.

This soup is adapted from a version Martha Stewart makes, but it’s when you need something delicious fast! Warning: it’s got a lot of kick. Definitely on the spicy side!

Plus you get to use fennel and endive from the garden - the flavor and texture is so delicious!

Here’s what you need:

1 pound ground hot Italian sausage or the Beyond Meat version

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 bulb fennel, finely chopped (1 cup), plus fronds for serving

Salt, Salt and Peppa

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable)

1 Parmesan rind, plus shaved Parmesan for serving

1 cup pastina, such as acini di pepe (get it at Whole Foods) cutest pasta ever!

3 cups endive leaves, torn into bite-size pieces

2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

In a large soup pan, cook the sausage with the fennel and onion until sausage is done and veggies are soft.

Add broth, 3 cups water, and rind. Season well with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Toast pastina in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add to simmering broth. Cook, stirring, until pastina is al dente, 6 to 8 minutes.

In a small bowl: Drizzle endive with vinegar; season with salt and pepper.

To serve: add endive to bowl. Top with hot soup. Garnish generously with shaved Parmesan and fennel fronds.

The crunch of the endive, the flavor from the Parmesan rind, the adorable noodles, and the fennel (fronds included)? This soup is on the winter rotation!