The freshness of Italian Wedding Soup meets the comfort of cholent.

This is the Hamin recipe I come back to time and again—beloved by my family and always a hit with guests. In my mind, it’s the Jewish take on a Southern Italian classic: Italian Wedding Soup, made with kosher ingredients and transformed into a comforting, celebratory Shabbat stew. It’s a cross between that fragrant, brothy soup and a hearty cholent, with a freshness that makes it absolutely irresistible. The extra steps are worth it.

Though the basic ingredients are familiar, the method of cooking follows the laws of Shabbat, allowing the dish to be kept warm and slowly cooked overnight. Unlike simpler cholents, this one requires a little more attention: you’ll need to soak beans overnight, and prepare chicken meatballs and a generous portion of wilted spinach to layer into the stew.

It may look like a mountain of spinach—but trust me, it wilts down beautifully and balances the richness of the dish. This recipe serves a crowd, but can easily be halved.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Stew:

• 2 cups dried white beans
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 fresh sage leaves
• 500g (1 lb) marrow bones
• 1 kilo (2 lbs) beef chuck cut into 2 inch cubes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• About 2 quarts water

For Chicken Meatballs:

• 500g (1 lb) ground chicken or turkey
• 125g (½ cup) matza meal
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For Spinach:

• 1 kilo (2 lbs) fresh spinach leaves
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced

METHOD:

For the Stew:

1. Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl with twice their volume of cold water.
2. Prepare the base: In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sage and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and golden and the sage is fragrant.
3. Assemble in the crockpot: Place the sautéed onions and sage in the crockpot. Add the marrow bones, beef cubes, garlic, salt, and pepper. Drain the soaked beans and add them as well. Cover with enough water to fully submerge all ingredients (about 2 quarts).
4. Begin cooking: Turn the crockpot on high for 1½ hours. Then reduce the heat to low and cook overnight.

For the Meatballs:

1. Prepare the mixture: In a large bowl, mix the ground chicken or turkey with matzah meal, egg, salt, and pepper until well combined.
2. Form the meatballs: With damp hands, roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and set aside.
3. Cook the meatballs: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Fry the meatballs in batches, about 5 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. (Cut one open to check.) Store the cooked meatballs in the fridge until Shabbat morning.

For the Spinach:

1. Prep the spinach: Remove any tough stems and slice the spinach into 1-inch strips.
2. Cook the spinach: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
3. Wilt the spinach: Add the spinach a handful at a time, stirring until wilted. Continue until all the spinach is cooked down, about 5 minutes. Store in the fridge until Shabbat morning.

To Serve:

Place the meatballs and spinach in a covered pot or foil tray on your hot plate to heat through.

When ready to serve, stir the warmed meatballs and spinach into the crockpot with the stew and serve hot.