Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup

Submitted by AmyZoe

"I've never eaten this before today when I made it, but I liked the spinach with beans and spinach and pasta and meatballs. Personally, I would like this with more spinach and more ham, and maybe even a bit more pasta, but this is my first time making and even eating so I don't have a frame of reference for how it should be. I've posted it as written, and it was nice and hearty with lots of flavors. Recipe courtesy of Paint the Kitchen Red.com."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 10mins
• Ingredients: 31
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1⁄2 lb ground beef or 1/2 lb ground pork
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 cup ham (1/4 inch cubes)
• 1⁄2 cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large bay leaves or 2 small bay leaves
• 7 cups chicken broth
• 25 mini italian meatballs (recipe included above)
• 1⁄2 cup acini di pepe pasta
• 2 cups cannellini beans
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1⁄2 cup chopped parsley

directions

1. Mini Italian Meatballs: Combine all ingredients except the ground meat. Add the beef and combine well. If the mixture is too wet to form meatballs, add more breadcrumbs as needed. If the mixture is too dry, add some chicken broth. Form into 3/4 inch mini meatballs and place on a baking sheet until ready to use.
2. Soup: Select the saute function and preheat the instant pot. Once the instant pot has preheated, heat the olive oil.
3. Stir in onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and ham and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Deglaze with white wine and stir to remove any brown bits. Press Cancel.
5. Stir in red pepper, oregano, black pepper, salt, and bay leaves.
6. Stir in broth.
7. Gently stir in meatballs and pasta.
8. Close the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
9. Do a quick release, initially releasing the pressure in short bursts to avoid food particles from spewing out the steam.
10. Open the instant pot and stir in beans and spinach.
11. In saute mode, cook soup for another 2 minutes, or until heated through and spinach has wilted.
12. Using silicone mitts, carefully remove the inner pot from the base unit and place on a heat-resistant surface or se a trivet.
13. Temper the eggs. Off heat, add 6 tablespoons of the hot broth to the beaten eggs, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.
14. Add the egg/broth mixture to the soup in a slow steady drizzle, constantly stirring in a circular fashion.
15. Serve in soup bowls and garnish each serving with freshly grated parmesan cheese and parsley.