A Top Chef Shares His Three Favorite Winter Soups

Try making soup at home to get you through this cold winter (and make extra as it freezes well and makes for an easy work lunch). We asked Italian Chef Laurent Tourondel of New York’s L’Amico Restaurant to share his favorite, easy-to-follow soup recipes with us.

Italian Wedding Soup

“The Italian Wedding soup is one of my favorites because it packs a lot of flavor, but is very light,” says Chef Tourondel. “The meatballs and ditalini pasta give the soup an Italian feel, while the provolone adds creaminess and saltiness.”

Ingredients

– 2 tablespoons Olive oil – 4 each Onions, medium dice – 4 each Carrots, peeled, medium dice – 4 stalks Celery, medium dice – 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped – 1 each Bouquet garni – 1 gallon Chicken stock – 4 ounces Parmesan rind – 24 Meatballs (see recipe below) – 1 quart Tuscan kale, blanched and chopped – 1 pint Ditalini pasta, partly cooked

Directions

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and sweat for 10 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Add the bouquet garni, chicken stock and parmesan rind and simmer for 10 minutes more to infuse the flavor. Remove the parmesan rind and add the meatballs. Continue to simmer 5-10 minutes, until the meatballs are just cooked through. Remove the bouquet garnis and stir in the chopped Tuscan kale and the partly cooked ditalini pasta. Continue to cook for 5 minutes until the ditalini are tender. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

Veal and Pork Meatballs

– 4 ounces day-old country-style bread – 1/2 cup whole milk – 1 pound ground beef – 1 pound ground pork – 1 each medium onion, finely chopped – 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese – 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley – 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced – 1 tablespoon kosher salt – 1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper – 1 each Lemon, finely grated – 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Cut the crusts off the bread and then cut the bread into 1/4-inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Pour the milk over the bread and toss to coat. Set aside and let soak for 10 minutes, or until the bread has absorbed all of the milk. In a large bowl, gently fold the beef, pork, onion, cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon zest together until evenly mixed. Stir in the soaked bread crumbs. Try not to over-mix the meat mixture, but to leave it relatively loosely combined. Roll the meat into 1/2 ounce sized balls. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place the meatballs an inch apart on the sheet. Cook inside the soup.

Minestrone

“This soup is a classic Italian recipe, filled with cannellini beans, fennel sausage and kale,” says Chef Tourondel. “I love to have this soup on a cold winter day as it is comforting and has a little bit of spice from the sausage!”

Ingredients

– 2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon – 1 each Onion, cut into large dice – 1 stalk celery, cut into large dice – 1 each Carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2 moon shapes – 1 clove Garlic, thinly sliced – 4 each Canned tomato, roughly chopped – 1 tablespoon Italian parsley leaves, chopped – 6 cups Chicken stock – 4 each Zucchini, medium dice – Kale pesto (see recipe below)

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the onion and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Lower the heat to low, and add the celery, carrots and garlic. Allow to simmer over low heat until the vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Cook for 5 more. Add the stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, and add the zucchini. Bring back to a boil and then lower the heat so that the liquid is simmering. Let simmer 10 minutes. Top with kale pesto.

Kale Pesto

– 2 ounces Basil leaves – 3 ounces Kale, chopped – 4 cloves Garlic – ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated – 5 ounces Extra virgin olive oil – Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth

Pasta e Fagioli

“My Pasta e Fagioli recipe has all the ingredients to keep everyone happy all winter long—prosciutto, pasta, cannellini beans, and veggies—it is the perfect winter dish,” says Chef Tourondel.

Ingredients

– 1 ounce Olive oil – 2 each Onions, sliced – 4 stalks Celery, sliced – 2 each Carrots, sliced – 1 batch Prosciutto broth (see recipe below) – 1 quart Cannelini beans – 1 pint Ditalini pasta

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a stock pot. Add the onions, celery and carrots and sauté until tender. Cover with prosciutto broth and bring to a simmer. Add the cannellini beans and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked pasta at the end.

Prosciutto Broth

– 1 gallon Chicken stock – 1 pound Prosciutto scraps – 1 piece Parmesan rind – 2 stems Rosemary

Directions

Combine all ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and set aside.