We’ve had several snow storms hit one after the other, over the past three weeks. When a nasty nor’easter blows cold wind down from Northern Canada I need warm soup in my belly to see me through. This Italian wedding soup goes together quickly and hits the spot on a cold winter afternoon after shovelling the driveway and bringing in the wood. I am not quite sure why this warm concoction is called wedding soup. Maybe it’s because when the soup is finished, the tiny white pasta balls (acini di pepe) look a bit like confetti floating around in the soup bowl.

Ingredients

• 1 cooking onion – medium dice
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 litres beef bone broth (or two, 1 litre tetra packs)
• ½ C acini di pepe
• 1 lb. Italian sausage (hot or mild)
• 1 package of baby spinach leaves

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in soup pot, add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion is translucent
2. Add the beef broth and heat until the broth begins to simmer
3. Add the acini di pepe and continue to simmer the soup for another 15 minutes
4. While the soup is simmering make tiny little sausage meatballs by rolling about 1 tsp of the meat between the palms of your hands
5. Add the little meatballs to the soup and continue to simmer the soup for another twenty minutes or so
6. Add the spinach and stir until it has all wilted

Your soup is ready to serve. However, as with most soups, the flavour will continue to develop if the soup is brought to room temperature and then gets to rest in the fridge overnight.