So...now it's time for cold weather food and this weekend I made two of my favorites. Wedding soup and vegetable lasagna.
The wedding soup is something that Grandma Civ and my mother were famous for. Every Christmas Grandma made a big pot of wedding soup. I found out that when I tried to make it her way, it took days! DAYS! Since I'm a working-outside-the-home mom and I've just taken on more responsibility there (at my place of employment), I just don't have time to take days to make a pot of soup. I never did like taking that long. I'm all for convenience.
So I developed my own way of making wedding soup easier. But, first, let me tell you how Grandma made it, First she began with fresh escarole. These large leaves must be cleaned and it takes forever. The easiest way is to stick them in a huge pot of water and dip them over and over until they no longer feel gritty. Then you boil them....in a different pot of water. When they are sufficiently cooked, (tender) you drain them and squeeze them dry. Then you roll them into a ball and stick them into the freezer. (I'm already tired). One time my girlfriend and I decided to share this task between the two of us. It took three brown paper grocery bags of escarole to make an eight inch ball. That's how much it cooks down.
The soup: I make the soup pretty much the same as Grandma; although I was told you should use an old bird. I did this once, but trying to get the meat off of the bird was a pain because it was so old and tough. I'll give you this recipe later. The thing to remember is to make a large pot of soup.
The meatballs: those tiny little veal balls. No thanks. I buy the already premade frozen meatballs from the grocery store. I actually found them at Save-A-Lot this week!
Then there's the pasta debate. Should we or shouldn't we put pasta in it. I do. I like it. My Mom is scandalized by the my pasta in the soup. Grandma never put in the pasta.
Also my Mom liked these cheese and egg croutons that she also made homemade. I never liked them, so I don't make them. Once you put them in the soup, they soak up all of the broth and blow up and get bigger and bigger and.....food should NOT grow while you are eating it!
I remember one time I was talking to a friend who said she had a really easy way to make wedding soup. She mailed it to me. This was before e-mail was the way to go. Here's her easy way. Two cans Progresso Chickerina Soup, One can chicken broth, one pound frozen chopped spinach and a can of chicken. Put them together and Voi La! Wedding Soup!
My recipe isn't quite that easy, but it only took me an hour or so on a Saturday afternoon. It did not take DAYS!
Let's start with the broth or soup. I used a large 8-12 quart stock pot.
Broth
4 chicken breasts (bonesless skinless)
chicken boullion (to taste)
parsley (to taste)
2/3 cup chopped celery
onion flakes (to taste)
garlic (to taste) (chopped)
salt and black pepper (to taste)
1/3 cup chopped or shredded carrots
Place all ingredients in a large stock pot and bring to boil. When it comes to a boil, turn down the heat and let simmer. When chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pot and let it cool. When chicken is cooled, cut it into bite size pieces or just tear it apart with your fingers. Return to pot. One quick stir and then if you are not finishing soup that day, put in storage containers in your frig or freezer (it depends on how long you will be before finishing soup).
THE REST OF THE SOUP:
The rest of the soup is prepared after the broth is done. So if you are doing this in more than one day, you need to thaw and re-heat your broth until it is bubbling hot.
While it is bubbling add the following ingredients (this is for a large pot of soup 8-12 quart stock pot): Two "bricks" of frozen chopped spinach 1/2 bag of DiRusso's mini-meatballs (found in the frozen meat section of your grocery store)
After the soup comes back to a boil then if you like you can add: 1 cup of acini de pipi pasta (or pastine or pasta balls or orzo pasta) When the pasta is tender your soup is done!
I just finished a large pot to give out for Christmas gifts. I know it's not the same as Grandma's Civ, but lets face it, I just don't have the time or energy for it. Let me know if you try it and if you like it!
