This Vegan Italian Wedding Soup is a plant-based twist on an Italian favorite. Despite the implication, Italian Wedding Soup actually has nothing to do with Italian Weddings, rather a misinterpreted translation of the original name minestra maritata which means “wedded broth” and refers to the use of both chicken broth and vegetable broth within the soup.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple yet delicious – No crazy ingredients are required to make this soup or the Vegan Meatballs.
- Ready in an hour – This soup and the meatballs come together in under an hour, making it a great options for a last-minute weeknight meal.
Ingredients for Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
- Vegetables – Onion, carrots, celery, and spinach are a great base for any soup.
- Broth – Any kind of veggie broth will work here. Mix it up with mushroom or miso broth. If you don’t need this soup to be vegan, you can use chicken or beef broth instead.
- Ditalini – Any small noodle works well here. Sub a gluten-free noodle if desired.
- Spices – This soup uses tons of savory spices – bay leaves, garlic, onion, parsley, oregano, basil, thyme, and sage. Feel free to change proportions to meet your preferences, or add some spice.
- Vegan Meatballs – Use my Homemade Vegan Meatball recipe or store-bought vegan meatballs.
How to Make Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
Start by washing and chopping all of the vegetables. Add the veggies (except spinach), and spices into a large stock pot with a bit of olive oil and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the broth, bay leaves, and noodles. Bring the soup to a boil and keep at a low boil for 10 minutes or until all veggies are fork-tender.
Once the soup is finished, stir in the fresh spinach. If using frozen spinach, stir it in during the last 2 minutes of the soup boiling.
Making the Meatballs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you aren’t starting with leftover cooked quinoa, you’ll want to cook the quinoa first.
Wash and chop your mushrooms then place them into the food processor. Place the cooked quinoa into the food processor with the mushrooms and all remaining ingredients. Pulse until a thick paste has formed.
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion out the meatballs and roll into a sphere. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until the meatballs become a rich brown color and slightly crispy on the outside.
Serve and enjoy!
How to Store Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
- Fridge: This soup will store well in the fridge for 5-7 days when stored in an air-tight container.
More Tips for Making Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
- Not Vegan? Use chicken or beef broth for the soup. Opt for a meat-based meatball instead of vegan.
- Gluten-free? Use gluten-free noodles and replace the breadcrumbs and soy sauce with gluten-free options for the meatballs.
- Oil-free? Feel free to omit the oil in this recipe for oil-free.
Looking for more delicious soup recipes? Try this Vegan Corn Chowder or Vegan Baked Potato Soup.
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Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Food processor (for the meatballs)
Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- 2 large carrots
- 5 stalks celery
- 8 cups veggie broth
- 1 cup ditalini (or other small noodle)
- 2 cup spinach
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp each: salt and pepper
- 2 tsp each: garlic powder, onion powder, parsley
- 1 tsp each: basil, thyme, sage
Instructions
Making the Soup Base
- Start by washing and chopping all of the vegetables. Add the veggies (except spinach), and spices into a large stock pot with a bit of olive oil and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add the broth, bay leaves, and noodles. Bring the soup to a boil and keep at a low boil for 10 minutes or until all veggies are fork-tender.
- Once the soup is finished, stir in the fresh spinach. If using frozen spinach, stir it in during the last 2 minutes of the soup boiling.
Making the Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wash and chop your mushrooms then place them into the food processor. Place the cooked quinoa into the food processor with the mushrooms and all remaining ingredients. Pulse until a thick paste has formed.
- Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion out the meatballs and roll into a sphere. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until the meatballs become a rich brown color and slightly crispy on the outside.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Not Vegan? Use chicken or beef broth for the soup. Opt for a meat-based meatball instead of vegan.
- Gluten-free? Use gluten-free noodles and replace the breadcrumbs and soy sauce with gluten-free options for the meatballs.
- Oil-free? Feel free to omit the oil in this recipe for oil-free.
