Make Italian wedding soup in 30 minutes with one clever shortcut

Soup is typically a slow food in the most alluring sense of the term. It brings to mind a big pot bubbling on the stove for hours, as bones, vegetables, and herbs gradually yield their goodness to the stock. It can often involve a lot of chopping, plus straining or pureeing, and it usually entails a loving intent, which surely contributes to its soothing potential.

But you can also have a homemade bowl of soup when you need nourishment on the table fast. This shortcut take on the classic Italian wedding soup — where meat and vegetables are married in a pot of savory both — and can be ready in about 30 minutes thanks to a rush-hour workaround and a couple of healthy convenience foods.

The workaround here is that instead of the traditional time-consuming meatballs, this version features bite-size pieces of ground turkey, which gets browned in the pot with onion, garlic, and ground sage. Ultraconvenient boxed or canned chicken stock or broth is added to that and brought to a boil. (I highly recommend getting one of the higher-protein bone broths, which are richer and more deeply savory than the plain broth. You can also use homemade broth if you tend to make and freeze batches of it.)

Once the soup is boiling, a drizzle of egg, parmesan, and parsley infuses the soup with umami-packed egg-drop-soup vibes. At the very last minute, a pile of baby spinach stirred into the soup wilts in seconds into bright green ribbons.

In about a half hour altogether, you wind up with a hot, satisfying bowl of soup, each spoonful offering a meaty bite and bits of egg and spinach in a savory, herbaceous broth. And while this express soup may not require copious time and effort, you can still put in all the love.

4 servings (makes about 8 cups)

Total time: 30 mins

This shortcut take on the classic Italian wedding soup, a combination of meat and vegetables in a savory broth, features bite-size pieces of sage-flavored ground turkey rather than the usual time-consuming mini meatballs. With baby spinach and a swirl of parmesan-enhanced eggs added at the end, this flavorful soup can be on the table in about 30 minutes.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces ground turkey, 92-94% lean

1 small yellow onion (5 ounces), finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated

1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground sage

6 cups no-salt-added chicken stock or bone broth

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

3 cups (3 ounces) lightly packed baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

Steps

In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the turkey and onion, and cook, breaking up the turkey with a spoon into bite-size pieces, until the meat is no longer pink and the onion softens, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and sage, and cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 30 seconds more. Add the stock or bone broth, increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.

In a medium bowl or a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, cheese, and parsley until well combined. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir the soup in a circular motion with a large spoon. Gradually drizzle in the egg mixture, stirring gently all the while to form thin strands (the eggs will begin cooking as soon as they hit the hot liquid), about 1 minute. Taste, and season with more salt, if desired. Stir in the spinach, remove from the heat, ladle into individual bowls, and serve right away.

Substitutions: Ground turkey >> ground chicken or lean ground pork. Ground sage >> 3/4 teaspoon fresh finely chopped sage. Parmesan >> pecorino Romano. Yellow onion >> white onion. Chicken stock or bone broth >> regular chicken broth, but the soup will have less flavor.

Nutrition per serving (2 cups, using 93% lean ground turkey): 204 calories, 6g carbohydrates, 128mg cholesterol, 11g fat, 1g fiber, 22g protein, 3g saturated fat, 597mg sodium, 2g sugar

This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.

Ellie Krieger is a registered dietitian nutritionist and cookbook author who hosts public television’s “Ellie’s Real Good Food.” Learn more at www.elliekrieger.com.