Ultimate Wedding Soup

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One of my favorite things to eat when it’s cold outside is soup. There’s something about cozying up on the couch with a blanket and a cup of soup that’s so relaxing. I’ve always been obsessed with Italian Wedding Soup, and I wanted to create a spin-off of the classic original. Instead of meatballs, this soup has pulled pork shoulder, which I had cooked in the crockpot for hours before until it was fall-off-the-bone delicious. Don’t fear! If you don’t have time to slow cook a pork shoulder, you can absolutely use already cooked pulled pork from the grocery store, just make sure it’s not covered in BBQ sauce! Give this soup a try, because I promise, it’ll be one of the best you’ve tried!

Serves:  4 +/- –  Cooktime: 6-7 hours to slow cook pork – 1 hour to prepare soup +/-

INGREDIENTS:

PORK SHOULDER:

• 3.5 – 4 lb Pork Shoulder
• 1/2 Tablespoon Salt
• 1/2 Tablespoon Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar Bourbon Seasoning

SOUP:

• 4 Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced
• 1 Large White Onion, Chopped
• 2 Carrots, Peeled and Sliced
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 Bouillon Cube
• 4 Cups Chicken Broth
• 2 Cups Water
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper +/-
• 1 Teaspoon Salt +/-
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• 1-1/2 Cups Pulled Pork
• 1/8 Cup Fresh Parsley, Minced
• 3/4 Cup Acine de Pepe Pasta
• 1 Cup Spinach, Roughly Chopped
• Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese, For Garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1.) To cook pork shoulder: remove pork from package and season with salt, pepper, and brown sugar bourbon seasoning. Place in crockpot on low for 6 -7 +/- hours, (or until internal temperature reaches 200°F), flipping meat at the halfway mark.

2.) Place a large saucepan on medium heat. Add olive oil to pan and let come to temperature. Add minced garlic and butter. Let cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onions and carrots and season lightly with a dash of salt and pepper. Let cook for 6-7 minutes, or until onions are tender, stirring occasionally.

3.) Add bouillon cube. Stir into onions for about one minute. Add chicken broth, water, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.

4.) Shred pork. If there isn’t enough time to cook a pork shoulder, pre-packaged pulled pork (without BBQ sauce) will do just fine. Add pork to soup. Turn heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.

5.) After 30 minutes, turn heat up to medium-low and add parsley. Add pasta and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. With two minutes remaining, add spinach. Cover and cook for remaining time.

6.) Ladle into bowls and top with freshly shredded parmesan cheese, enjoy!

GENERAL TIPS:

• This recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc. for however many you’re serving.
• If you have extra soup, package individually, and freeze. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and place in covered container. Defrost for 3 minutes. Then heat for 3 minutes +/-, until thawed and hot.