Chef Thomas John

Marcy Vasilew of Cumberland wrote:

“I recently went to Au Bon Pan at Children’s Hospital in Boston where my son underwent surgery and we stayed overnight. The first night I had their Italian Wedding Soup and it was so delicious. It had the right blend of spices and heat making it not just another chicken soup with meatballs. I tried getting their recipe without success. I loved it so much the next day I had it again for lunch. I have tried many Italian Wedding Soups and have never tasted one as good as theirs. I would love to have the recipe so I could make it as there are no Au Bon Pan’s in my area. Thank you.”

There is much good news to report. Marcy’s son is doing well and Au Bon Pain was happy to share the recipe with all of us.

Thomas John, executive chef at the corporate offices in Boston, is quite an accomplished chef. He was the opening chef at Boston’s Mantra, where he developed a menu that fused Indian flavors with French cuisine. Under John, Mantra was named one of Esquire’s Best Restaurants of 2001. He was selected as one of America’s Best New Chefs in 2002 by Food & Wine magazine.

John left that world three years ago to take the helm at Au Bon Pain, a bakery café with hundreds of shops worldwide. There are but a handful of them in Rhode Island, all in Providence. They are at Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy St.; in the Bank of America building, 100 Westminster St. and at 223 Thayer St.

Now, for the unfortunate news. If you crave this version of Italian Wedding soup, march to the store now and load up on escarole because you’ll have to make it yourself. The soup is off the daily menu for the months of May and June. The café lists their daily soups for the month on aubonpain.com if you want to see what they are offering.

But making it is no bother, I assure you. I whipped up a batch last week for the photo that accompanies this story. There is a “chef’s secret” which gives the soup the “heat” that Marcy enjoyed. It’s crushed red pepper flakes and it adds a wonderful dimension to this homemade soup.

gciampa@projo.com

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground beef, 90 percent lean

3/4 pound ground veal or pork

2 eggs

3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the broth:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 heads escarole, coarsely chopped

1 cup canned imported plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

6-8 cups rich chicken stock

1 cup uncooked acini di pepe pasta (also known as soup mac)

Pecorino romano cheese

In a large bowl combine all eight meatball ingredients and mix well. Let rest for 15-20 minutes then form small olive-size meatballs (about 30). Set aside for later use.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and meatballs. Lightly brown, turning occasionally. Transfer to a platter and set aside.

Add the onion, carrots and garlic to the pan and stir occasionally until soft and golden. Add in the escarole and cook until just wilted. Add the thyme, crushed red pepper, chicken stock and plum tomatoes and bring to a simmer, slowly cook for about 10-12 minutes

Add the meatballs and the pasta and bring back to a simmer, cook for about 6-7 minutes or until the pasta is tender.

Remove the fresh thyme sprigs and let soup rest a few minutes before serving.

Serve heaping ladles of soup in oversized soup bowls and garnish with freshly grated Pecorino-Romano.

Makes 6-8 servings.