White Bean, Escarole & Turkey Meatball Soup

One of the few things I enjoy about Winter are the comfort foods associated with it, in particular soup.  Soup is such a feel good food and something quick and healthy you can put together.  My all time favorite soup is the "little meatball and scarola" soup that my Grandmother used to make. Of course in my version of this soup my meatballs are about 12 times as large as my Grandmothers were.  I do not have the patience to roll meatballs the size of a dime, not to mention grind my own chicken breasts like she did!

At any rate this particular recipe is a little different than the traditional soup that she used to make but really quite tasty!

In a bowl combine 1 pound of ground turkey, 1 egg, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup bread crumbs, salt & pepper to taste and blend the mixture up.  Shape 1" meatballs and arrange them on a baking dish.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set them  Preheat the oven to 350.  Bake until they are firm, which should be around 15-20 minutes.

Drain and rinse 2 cans of cannelini beans.  Clean and chop 1 head of escarole.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add 1 cup of finely chopped onion and saute until softened.  Add in 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme, stir frequently until cooked and fragrant but not browned.  Add 1/2 cup dry white wine and boil until mostly evaporated, another 2-3 minutes.

Add 4 cups of chicken broth and simmer.  Add in the beans and escarole and cook until the escarole is wilted, about 5-7 minutes.  Add in the meatballs until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Ladle in to bowls and garnish with shaved Parmesan and service with a warm crusty bread.