This is one of my favorite uses for the ground venison in the freezer, and I’m always looking for new ones. The Italian sausage is so flavorfully seasoned that you don’t need to add many additional herbs to the soup since it not only provides the ideal quantity of fat that the venison need. The leftovers keep well. When chilled overnight, the pasta maintains its texture and doesn’t slurp up the entire broth.
| Prep Time: | 35 mins |
| Cook Time: | 30 mins |
| Additional Time: | 5 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 10 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground venison
- ½ pound bulk Italian sausage
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 (32 ounce) cartons chicken broth
- 1 cup acini di pepe pasta
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
- ½ (6 ounce) package fresh baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Combine venison, sausage, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, and egg in a large bowl; mix until evenly combined. Form mixture into fifty 1-inch meatballs.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook for 4 minutes, flipping halfway, to get an even brown on all sides. Transfer with tongs to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Heat oil for soup in a large soup pot. Add celery, carrot, and onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta, oregano, and meatballs. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Turn heat off and let soup sit for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and lemon juice. Ladle into bowls, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with Parmesan cheese.
- We like the hot Italian sausage but feel free to use the sweet or mild variety.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 332 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 32 g |
| Cholesterol | 68 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 20 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Sodium | 1538 mg |
| Sugars | 4 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |