Soup for a Cold Day

This soup is a version of the Italian Wedding Soup. I guess we would call it Irish Farm Soup!

Irish Farm Soup
In a large soup pot melt butter (about 3 Tablespoons)
Add:
1 large chopped onion
1 chopped apple
4 large cloves of garlic
Saute until onions are soft.
Add 4 chicken thighs with the skin on that have been salted and peppered.
Brown the chicken on all sides.
Add 1 quart jar of tomatoes with liquid.
Then add four quarts of water and bring soup to a simmer.
Let cook for an hour.

Meatballs:
1 pound of farm sausage
1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Remove chicken thighs from the pot.
Add 4 chopped carrots.

Wet your hands with cold water and form small meatballs (about the size of a quarter)
Drop meatball directly into soup.
The one pound mixture made about 61 meatballs!

Remove skin and bones from chicken and shred into soup pot.
Add 1 cup of favorite pasta noodles or use up the left over macaroni in the cupboard!
Cook for 10 minutes, making sure there is plenty of liquid.
Add 2 cups fresh spinach.
2 Tablespoons of Italian seasoning
Salt
Pepper
Stir into soup. Turn off heat.
Let sit for 10-15 minutes while you set the table, make some cheese toast, light a candle, then serve!
Enjoy~