Italian Wedding Soup with Venison Meatballs

I'm always looking for new ways to use the ground venison in the freezer and this is one of my favorites. The Italian sausage not only adds just the right amount of fat that venison needs but it is also seasoned so well that you don't need to add a lot of extra herbs to the soup. Leftovers hold up nicely. The pasta holds its texture and doesn't absorb all of the broth when refrigerated overnight.

• Preparation Time: 35 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 332 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• ½ pound bulk Italian sausage
• ½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 (32 ounce) cartons chicken broth
• ¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• ½ pound ground venison
• 1 cup acini di pepe pasta
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
• ½ (6 ounce) package fresh baby spinach

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine venison, sausage, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, and egg in a large bowl; mix until evenly combined. Form mixture into fifty 1-inch meatballs.

Step 2

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook for 4 minutes, flipping halfway, to get an even brown on all sides. Transfer with tongs to a paper towel-lined plate.

Step 3

Heat oil for soup in a large soup pot. Add celery, carrot, and onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta, oregano, and meatballs. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

Step 4

Turn heat off and let soup sit for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and lemon juice. Ladle into bowls, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with Parmesan cheese.