Growing up, I used to love the canned Italian Wedding Soup from Campbell’s or Progresso. With flavorful meatballs, pasta, and tender greens, what wasn’t there to love? Well, I’m happy to report that this homemade, plant-based rendition blows the canned stuff out of the water! This Vegan Italian Wedding Soup is so hearty and flavorful, and it’s such a treat, especially during the colder months.
It’s a bit of a labor of love to make the bite-sized vegan meatballs from scratch, but I do think it’s worth it for the flavor payoff! But not to worry; I also offer a little shortcut for those nights when you need dinner to come together a little quicker.
Table of Contents
Vegan Meatball Ingredients
- Olive oil. For pan-frying.
- Plant-based sausage. We have made this with Beyond Italian sausage and with the spicy sausage from Impossible. Both are delicious but with slightly different flavor profiles.
- Plant-based ground beef. Again, we’ve used both Impossible and Beyond ground beef for the meatballs, and both taste great. Use whichever you prefer! You can also just use a whole pound of vegan sausage and skip the plain ground beef altogether.
- Vegan parmesan. We like Violife or Follow Your Heart. If using Violife
- Breadcrumbs. Regular or panko will both work; just make sure to check for milk ingredients!
- Plant milk. Only add a splash if the meatball mixture is a little dry. Any plain unsweetened variety should work just fine.
- Garlic powder, parsley, black pepper.
Italian Wedding Soup Ingredients
- Olive oil.
- Onion, garlic, celery and carrots. This Italian soffritto base forms the flavor base of the soup!
- Vegetable broth. You can use a regular veggie broth or a plant-based beef or chicken bouillon to make it extra savory.
- Dried parsley, basil, and oregano. You can also sub about 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend. Or, if you want to use fresh herbs, sub about 1 tablespoon each fresh chopped parsley and basil.
- Small pasta. About 1/2 cup of acini de pepe, orzo, stelline (pastina), etc. If using a larger pasta shape such as ditalini, you’ll want to use about 3/4 cup. You need 4 ounces in total for this amount of broth.
- Baby kale or baby spinach. You’re welcome to use any kind of greens you like here. Baby kale or spinach will cook up nice and quick. If using something heartier like Tuscan kale or escarole, you can add it earlier (with the vegetable broth) so that it has plenty of time to simmer and soften.
How to Make the Meatballs
Step 1. Add all meatball ingredients to a mixing bowl.
Step 2. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Step 3. Portion out and roll into balls — about a tablespoon per meatball.
Step 4. Sear until evenly browned. Set aside.
How to Make Italian Wedding Soup
Step 1. Sauté the soffritto base.
Step 2. Add broth and herbs and bring to a boil.
Step 3. Add in pasta and cook until al dente.
Step 4. Add greens and cook until wilted.
Step 5. Add in meatballs and heat through.
Step 6. Serve and enjoy!
Sarah’s Recipe Notes
- Don’t rush the soffritto! The aromatics provide so much flavor in this soup. Slowly sautĂ©ing them will build a sweeter and richer base for your broth.
- Cook pasta just until al dente. Make sure to check on your pasta often so that it doesn’t overcook. Tiny pasta shapes cook up quickly, so test often!
- Pan-sear the meatballs thoroughly. Make sure to get good browning on the meatballs. This not only contributes flavor, but also helps them to retain their texture when added to the soup rather than becoming soggy.
A Vegan Meatball Shortcut for Busy Nights
Short on time? If you’re not in the mood to mix and roll out a whole tray of meatballs by hand, just grab a package of vegan Italian sausage links (like the Hot Italian ones from Beyond Meat). Slice the links into little pieces. They can be left as cute little medallions, or you can quickly roll the pieces out into balls. Sear until nicely browned, then set aside and proceed with the recipe as written.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all! If you only have one or the other, that’s totally fine. However, if you’re only using vegan beef, I suggest adding 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the mixture. This will make up for the flavor found in the sausage.
I always use acini de pepe, but any small pasta shape will work. Orzo, ditalini, small macaroni or shells, stelline, or even alphabet pasta are good options. Just note that different shapes measure differently, so use 4 ounces of whatever you choose.
Spinach, kale, and escarole all work well in this dish.
I strongly recommend against this. Searing the meatballs first helps them to hold their shape and not get mushy when added to the soup.
More Cozy Soups
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup – A creamy, cheesy classic turned plant-based.
- Creamy Tomato Soup – So much better than the canned stuff. Serve with a grilled cheese for dipping!
- Pickle Soup – If you like pickles, you’ll love this soup. Just trust me on this one.
Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
Video
Equipment
- large pot
- large skillet to fry meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup dry acini de pepe, orzo, or stelline (about 4 oz)
- 2 big handfuls baby kale or spinach
- salt to taste
For the Meatballs (see notes for shortcut)
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for pan-frying
- 1 pound plant-based sausage or 1/2 pound vegan sausage + 1/2 pound vegan ground beef
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup grated vegan parm we like Violife or Follow Your Heart
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- a splash plant milk only if needed
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Combine ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine plant-based sausage, plant-based beef, garlic powder, vegan parm, breadcrumbs, and black pepper. Mix together (it's easiest with your hands) until all ingredients are well-combined. If it seems a bit dry (i.e. it won't hold together), you can add a quick splash of plant milk to get the right texture.
- Roll into balls: Roll the mixture into meatballs. Exact size is up to your preference, but I prefer smaller ones (about 2 teaspoons of mixture each) so they can easily fit in a soup spoon.
- Brown meatballs: Heat a nonstick skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Add in the meatballs and sear on all sides until evenly browned. This usually takes me about 5-7 minutes in total.Plant-based meats sometimes go a bit soggy in soups. Getting a really good sear on these helps keep them from turning mushy later on.
- Set aside: Once the meatballs are browned, remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Make the Soup
- Sauté aromatics: In a big pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add onions, celery, carrot and garlic and sauté 4-6 minutes, until onion is translucent.
- Build the soup: Add in vegetable broth, along with dried parsley, basil, oregano, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low or medium-low, as needed to establish a rapid simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes to soften the vegetables.
- Cook the pasta and greens: Stir in the dry pasta and cook at a gentle boil until tender. Timing will depend on pasta shape. I recommend starting to check around the 8 minute mark, but it can take up to 15 minutes. Add extra time as needed. (It will take longer than the cook time listed on the pasta packaging because we are simmering rather than boiling.) For very tender greens, add the baby kale in at the same time as the pasta. For fresher greens, add in the baby kale when the pasta is almost fully cooked so it has just about 1-2 minutes to wilt.
- Finishing touches: Add back in the cooked meatballs and simmer another minute or so to heat everything through. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper to preference. Enjoy!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was so delicious! Subbed plain plant based meat in the meatballs because my grocery store was out of impossible sausage, but added more spices to make up for it. My husband and I love watching your videos to figure out what to make!
Absolutely delicious! The meatballs are the perfect size and so tasty on their own too. I will be making this again!
I can’t get plant based sausage or meat where I am. What can I use instead or is there a meatball recipe you’d recommend me using instead to make this?
I’m confused by your comment. There are literally measurements in the recipe??
AMAZING. Must try!
I made this soup for a potluck dinner at my Orthodox Church during Lent. We do not eat meat or dairy products or eggs during this time. So I served this to non-vegan eaters, and they loved it!! even the sceptics. Definitely making this over and over again.
Loved the soup! The only thing is (and I don’t know if this is how it’s supposed to be) there tends to be more things in it than the broth. Meaning that in the end I still have meatballs and veggies and no broth left.
I’ve noticed this too! When reheating leftovers I just add some water to the bowl and no flavor is lost.
I never leave comments on random recipes I accrue, but this has literally become my favorite recipe of all time! So hearty and filling for a soup, so warm and comforting! I make this year round if I can get away with a hot kitchen. I usually bake the meatballs just to save some time/effort, they’re a little soft in leftovers but still hold together and taste so good!
This soup is amazing!! I followed your advise and kept the orzo separate for leftovers
. I think I will do the same with the impossible meatballs. Wil be a staple this winter. Thank you!!
I’m not the biggest soup guy, I definitely prefer stews & thicker curry type dishes, but I made this recipe and to my surprise really love it! The biggest change I did was adapt the meatballs to a TVP meatball & add extra stelline pasta to lessen the liquidy texture. Will also be storing the meatballs separately. Thank you!
Has anyone used frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach or kale?
I am snowed in without fresh greens but wanted to try this recipe.
Thanks!
That would work fine! Enjoy!