Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup
by: Brienna Drnec

1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons plain bread crumbs
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 large carrots chopped
1 small head escarole washed,trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/4 cups acini de pepe pasta ( I felt even 1/2 cup would have been plenty!)

In a large bowl, stir together egg, beef, onion, bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon parmesan, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Form into 1-inch balls(about 45) and place on a baking sheet and refrigerate while preparing soup.

Combine broth, carrots, escarole, oregano in slow cooker. Gently add the meatballs. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Stir in pasta last 20 min of cook time.
Stir in remaining salt and pepper sprinkle each serving with parmesan and parsley. 8 servings