Italian-Style Meatball soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb 454 g ground Quebec pork
• 1/2 cup 125 mL finely grated Parmesan
• 1/3 cup 80 mL breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. 30 mL finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 tsp. 2.5 mL dried oregano
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. 30 mL olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Soup ingredients

• 2 tbsp. 30 ml olive oil
• 1 onion, coarsely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tsp. 5 ml dried oregano
• 1 tsp. 5 ml dried thyme
• 2 carrots, coarsely diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 zucchini, coarsely diced
• 1 tomato, seeded, coarsely diced (or 2 Italian tomatoes)
• 8 cups 2 L chicken broth
• 2 cups 500 ml water
• 1 tbsp. 15 ml tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 cup 180 ml short pasta (tubetti, orzo, piombi, etc.)
• 2 cups 500 ml swiss chard (or kale), trimmed, torn into pieces and slightly packed
• To taste parmesan