Italian wedding Soup is a comfort food classic and this vegan version is just as cozy as the original. Tender meatless meatballs are swimming in a savory vegetable broth with veggies, greens and herbs. Add in tiny orzo pasta and you have a satisfying bowl of soup that you will be dreaming about making all winter long.
What is Italian Wedding Soup?
Italian wedding is a soup that is made with small meatballs, greens and pasta in a rich flavored broth with vegetables and herbs. Contrary to popular belief this soup gets its name from an Italian phrase which means marriage soup. The phrase actually refers to the marriage of meat with greens, rather than a soup for the occasion of marriage.
This soup is extra flavorful thanks to the greens, herbs and savory aromatic veggies like garlic, onion, celery and carrots. When cooked together with water and stock, the broth is super slurpy, flavorful and comforting. Packed with hearty meatballs, bitter greens and pasta this soup is one to write home about.
Why you'll love this Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
- Super brothy, slurpy soup.
- Packed full of flavor from savory vegetables, greens and herbs
- The meatballs and orzo make this soup very satisfying
- Comfort food classic, a steamy bowl of this will instantly make you feel better. It's like a big hug in a bowl.
- Easy to make, make it even easier by purchasing prepared meatless balls
- Fresh and herby
- Dairy free and vegan
Make ahead tip:
This soup is the best served immediately, but if you want to make it a day ahead for a special occasion, keep all the three elements separate: soup broth with veggies and greens, the meatballs, and the orzo pasta. Store them separately and combine when serving.
Vegan Italian Wedding Soup Ingredients
This is the ultimate in vegan comfort food. The ingredients are easy to find
- Vegan Meatballs: made with meatless ground beef, breadcrumbs, spices and chia "eggs" to bind, these tender and meaty morsels are delicious
- Onion, garlic, celery and carrot: These savory veggies give the broth more flavor
- Low sodium Vegetable Broth and Water: To make a slurpable soup
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: to saute the veggies and magnify their flavors
- Greens: Use any kind you like: mustard greens, kale or Swiss chard, broccoli rabe or spinach you can never go wrong with greens.
- Nutritional yeast: to give that cheesy flavor in place of parmesan cheese
- Salt and Pepper: The flavor power duo
Time saving tip: Instead of making homemade meatballs, buy them prepared, heat them and add to the soup. Several brands including Beyond, Impossible, Gardein and even Trader Joes's have their own frozen vegan meatballs which are quite good.
How to Make Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
This recipe is beginner friendly even though it does have some more involved steps.
- First, make the meatballs by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and using your hands to roll out small balls. Transfer the balls to an oiled sheet pan and bake.
- Next make the base of the soup with onions, garlic, celery and carrots. When soft and fragrant, add the broth, water and spices and boil.
- Then add the orzo and cook until tender and last add the greens and herbs and spices to bring out all the flavors.
- Finish by adding the cooked meatballs and serving garnished with crushed red pepper and nutritional yeast.
Tips for Making the Best Italian Wedding Soup
- Be sure the meatballs are well cooked before adding to the soup as they will fall apart if they are raw. The oven will give them a crispy outer layer that will help them stay together.
- Adding the greens and herbs last will preserve their brilliant green color
- Get creative, add to the soup according to your preferences or what you have on hand. Extra herbs like mint or basil, veggies like parsnips, turnip, potatoes or squash would be delicious in this savory broth
- Use cool noodle shapes. Ditalini, fusili, tiny stars or o's would give textural interest
- Add beans for more fiber and protein
FAQs
Yes you can but you should keep the meatballs and the pasta separate from the soup until you want to serve. That is because the breadcrumbs in the meatballs and the pasta will soak up the liquid and start to swell. It won't be awful, but it won't have the same kind of incredible broth or presentation it has when it is made fresh.
No, this is not a gluten free recipe. The meatballs have breadcrumbs and the orzo pasta is made with flour. You can make it gluten free by subbing out the breadcrumbs and pasta for gluten free versions of those products. Just be sure to read labels.
For these meatballs, I used Beyond meat. Both Beyond and Impossible make meatless ground beef products that are great for this recipe. Do not buy frozen, crumbled product for this recipe, you need the packs of vegan beef that look like real meat.
I use nutritional yeast in this recipe to give it a cheesy, parmesan like flavor and vibe. You can certainly leave it out but it tastes great!
I recommend ditalini pasta or any small shapes that won't be overwhelming in the soup. But really any kind of noodle will do.
Other Delicious Vegan Soup Recipes
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Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
- For Meatballs:
- 8 oz vegan ground “meat”
- ¾ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp chia or flax seeds
- 6 tbsp water
- For Soup:
- 1 onion yellow or red, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 rib celery chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 8 oz orzo
- 2 cups greens chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 6 cups water
- 4 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400
- Make chia eggs by combining chia seeds with water and letting them gel for 5 minutes to bind the meatballs.
- To a bowl add the vegan ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, italian seasoning, salt, nutritional yeast and chia eggs from step 2. Mix with your hands just like you would meatballs. Once everything is well combined roll them into 1-1.5 oz balls.
- Place the meatballs on an oiled sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes turning once halfway.
- Meanwhile to a large soup pot over medium heat, add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots and cook for 10 minutes stirring often to prevent sticking or burning.
- Then add salt, vegetable broth and water and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the orzo and cook for 10 minutes until tender. Then add the greens, nutritional yeast and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
- Finish the soup by adding the cooked meatballs and serving with an optional garnish of crushed red pepper and nutritional yeast.
Jemma
I had never heard of Italian Wedding Soup all the way down here in Aus 😉 and this recipe is now one of my favourites (like you!). You truly are a guru of deliciousness 🙂
Sara Tercero
Thank you Jemma! I really appreciate the trust and the great feedback. Love you!
Tracey
fantastic!
Sara Tercero
Thank you so much Tracey!