Name: Slow-Cooker Italian Meatball and Escarole Soup
Total time: 5 h
Ingredients: 2 slices hearty white bread , torn into 1-inch pieces; 1/4 cup whole milk; 1 ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (½ cup); 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley; 1 large egg yolk; 1½ teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried; 4 garlic cloves , minced; Salt and pepper; 1 pound ground turkey; 2 teaspoons vegetable oil; 1 onion , chopped fine; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 6 cups chicken broth; 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans , rinsed; 1 head escarole (1 head), trimmed and sliced 1 inch thick

Why This Recipe Works

Hearty beans, delicate meatballs, and wilted greens make for a classic Italian soup, but timing this dish in a slow cooker took extra care. While most bean-based soups start with cooking dried beans for hours before adding the meatballs, this just would not work in the slow cooker. Rather than settle for tough meatballs or undercooked beans, we reached for canned beans and broth to which we added onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. For the meatballs we used ground turkey, which was lean but still full of flavor. To protect the lean meat from drying out, we mixed it with a panade (a combination of bread and milk) as well as some Parmesan and an egg yolk for flavor and richness. Searing the meatballs in a skillet before adding them to the slow cooker allowed them to keep their shape and added meaty flavor to the broth. Since we had the skillet out, we used it to sauté our aromatics to further enhance their flavor. Escarole, stirred in toward the end, rounded out our soup perfectly, adding freshness and color. The amount of escarole may seem like a lot at first, but it all wilts down.

Before You Begin

Be sure to use ground turkey, not ground turkey breast (also labeled 99 percent fat-free), in this recipe.

Instructions

1. Mash bread, milk, Parmesan, parsley, egg yolk, oregano, half of garlic, and ½ teaspoon pepper into paste in large bowl using fork. Add ground turkey and hand-knead until well combined. Pinch off and roll turkey mixture into tablespoon-size meatballs (about 24 meatballs).

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Brown half of meatballs on all sides, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Repeat with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and remaining meatballs; transfer to slow cooker.

Add onion and ¼ teaspoon salt to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in pepper flakes and remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; transfer to slow cooker. Gently stir in broth and beans, cover, and cook until meatballs are tender, 4 to 6 hours on low or 3 to 5 hours on high.

Stir escarole into soup, 1 handful at a time, cover, and cook on high until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.