Italian Wedding Soup {30 Minutes}
Rich in flavor and warming for the soul, this is my favorite Italian wedding soup recipe that is easy and healthy. Loaded with veggies and perfectly tender baked chicken meatballs, it’s a great family dinner for any day of the week.
It’s soup weather people! There’s just something so comforting about being curled up on the couch with a warm bowl of soup under some fuzzy blankets and in your comfiest clothes.
This hearty and flavorful soup is sure to warm your soul and keep you feeling full and fueled.
This soup is light and so flavorful, definitely my go-to comfort food.
This easy stovetop Italian wedding soup is packed with so many delicious flavors. It’s hearty, healthy, and perfect for the entire family.
Want to know a funny fact? Italian wedding soup has nothing to do with weddings. It was named after the tasty “marriage” of meat and vegetables. Fooled me!
What Makes This Italian Wedding Soup So Good?
This easy Italian Wedding Soup recipe includes all of the classic ingredients traditionally found in an authentic Italian wedding soup recipe.
However, a few tweaks were made to make it a little bit more friendly for those looking for alternative ingredients and more vegetable heavy.
The biggest difference was with the meatballs: instead of using a combination of ground beef and pork, I used ground chicken which is a much leaner meat, but just as delicious!
I also eliminated the use of breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese which you probably find in most of your grandmother’s meatball recipes (Don’t get me wrong grandma, those are still on top of my list).
Not to worry though, these meatballs are still just as tasty as ever, and you can feel good knowing you’re nourishing your body with a nutrient-packed and hearty dish.
Soups are also a great way to increase your veggie intake for the day without thinking too much about chewing and crunchy!
You can easily throw in extra kale or any other vegetables that you love for some extra vibrancy.
Ingredients Needed for This Italian Wedding Soup
For the meatballs:
- Ground chicken
- Eggs
- Italian spice
- Garlic
- Paprika
- Arrowroot flour
- Salt pepper
- Nutritional yeast (can use parmesan cheese if not following a dairy-free lifestyle)
Note: I like to refrigerate the meatball mix for at least half an hour easier rolling and better flavor.
For the soup:
- Celery stalk
- Carrots
- Yellow onion
- cloves of garlic, minced
- Chopped kale
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Bay leaves, dry or fresh
- Parsley
- Cooking oil
- Chicken broth or bone broth
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How to Make This Italian Wedding Soup
Once everything is prepped, this gluten-free and dairy-free soup comes together in about 20 minutes.
You can prep your ingredients ahead of time and throw them together when you’re ready to eat some delicious and hearty soup!
First, prep the baked chicken meatballs. Gently mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
After the meatballs have chilled, roll into balls (approx 12 – 16 meatballs) bake them in a 400 F oven for 8 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked to an internal temp of 160 F.
While the chicken meatballs are baking, prepare the soup base.
First, wash and chop celery, carrots, and onion and mince the garlic.
Heat up 3-4 Tbsp cooking oil in a big pot or dutch oven.
Then sauté chopped celery, carrots, onion, minced garlic, and bay leaves together until soft (about 10 minutes).
Next, add in the kale and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Once the kale is wilted, add in your broth. Bring the broth to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Then, add in your meatballs and simmer for an additional 5 – 10 minutes.
Ladle into serving bowls and top with fresh parsley.
If you’re not following a gluten free or dairy free lifestyle, you can also add orzo to the soup or/and some parmesan to the meatballs.
Orzo pasta is a tiny grain-shaped pasta that looks similar to rice, which would be amazing in this soup. Another good pasta option, if you decide to add it, would be acini de pepe.
Acini de pepe is those small little round balls of pasta that you often see in this soup as well.
Tip: for even more flavorful meatballs, leave the baked chicken meatball mix to refrigerate overnight to allow all of the flavors to absorb and intensify.
How to Serve This Italian Wedding Soup
While this soup in itself is a meal, sometimes you just want a little variety and that’s okay! Some great additions to serve along this soup are:
- Side salads
- Roasted vegetables; Brussels sprouts, potatoes, green beans, squash, broccoli
- Toasted bread
- Rolls
- Biscuits
- Cornbread
- Garlic bread
- Deli sandwiches
How to Store Your Italian Wedding Soup
You can keep this gluten and dairy free Italian wedding soup for up to 3 days by placing it in an airtight container in the fridge.
And YES, you can freeze it for later, so feel free to make a big batch to save time later.
What’s your favorite way to eat Italian wedding soup? Leave a comment below!
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS
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Get the recipe:Italian Wedding Soup {30 Minutes}
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 1 heaping tsp Italian spice
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp arrowroot flour
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast *
Soup
- 2 Celery stalks, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- Yellow onion, roughly 1 cup
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- A couple of handful of chopped kale
- Salt pepper to taste
- 2 – 3 pieces of bay leaves, dry or fresh
- 3 – 4 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 – 3 ½ cup chicken broth, or bone broth
- A few sprigs of chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Prep Chicken Meatballs
- In a medium bowl, gently mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight).
- Once the meatball mix has chilled, roll into balls then bake them in a 400 F oven for 8 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked to an internal temp of 165 F. **
- Soup
- While your meatballs are baking, prepare the soup.
- Wash and chop celery, carrots, and onion and mince the garlic.
- Heat up 3-4 Tbsp cooking oil in a big pot or dutch oven.
- Sauté chopped celery, carrots, onion, minced garlic, and bay leaves together until soft (about 10 minutes). Then add kale and season with salt and pepper.
- Once kale is slightly wilted, add broth. Bring broth to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add meatballs and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- Ladle into servings bowls and serve with fresh parsley.
Notes
- * If you’re not following Whole30, you can use 3 – 4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese in the baked chicken meatballs. And sprinkle a generous amount of parmesan cheese in the soup once done cooking.
- ** Make sure your oven has reached 400 F (it usually reaches the target temp 10 minutes after beeping). I recommend using an oven thermometer.
The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.
