Juicy, flavor-packed meatballs served in a simple, soothing broth with zesty homemade pesto sauce that’s ready in just about 30 minutes! This Pesto Italian Wedding Soup is easy and wholesome, making for a meal that everyone is sure to love!

Italian Wedding Soup kicked up a notch

Brothy, flavorful, packed with dark, leafy greens and loaded with juicy, tender meatballs, my Pesto Italian Wedding Soup is the epitome of comfort in a bowl! It’s cozy, soothing, and jam packed with so much flavor, it’s hard to believe this comes together in just 30 minutes! The pesto adds a nice depth of flavor, so don’t skip it!

Grab a drink and let’s get to making the best Vegan Pesto Italian Wedding Soup!

what is Italian wedding soup?

Why do we call it Italian wedding soup? Do they serve this at Italian Weddings? 

The term “wedding soup” comes from the Italian phrase, “minestra maritata”, which translates to “married soup”, a reference to the flavor produced by the combination/”marriage” of greens and the meat.

According to Food Republic, the dish originates in the southern Italian region of Campania, where it’s found in various incarnations linked to traditional rituals. In other regions, the soup is often prepared around Christmas and Easter. Though there are no sure traces, immigrants from Campania must have brought their varied versions of minestra maritata to the United States. Some considered the soup an exclusively winter dish, while others embraced both the Christmas and Easter associations.

Long story short, Italian Wedding Soup actually has nothing to do with weddings, which is great because this soup is so darn good, it should be served for any and all occasions!

how to make Italian wedding soup

Not only is this soup comforting and packed with flavor, it’s so easy to prepare! In just about 30 minutes, you’ll be enjoying a big bowl of cozy soup that’ll warm you from the inside, out. Here’s how to make it:

1. Prepare the meatballs. Mix the meatball ingredients together and form them with your hands. Place them in the oven and broil them for 4 to 5 minutes per side.
2. Make the pesto. While the meatballs are in then oven, make the pesto by ousting all its ingredients in a food processor, set aside. 
3. Start the soup. After you’ve made a quick pesto, sauté the vegetables in a soup pot for a few minutes. Add the broth and small soup pasta. Increase the heat. Once the soup reaches a boil, reduce the heat, add the meatballs, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. 
4. Add the kale for a couple minutes, until just wilted. Add the pesto and lemon juice off the heat.
5. Garnish with vegan parmesan and fresh basil, and enjoy immediately!

Italian wedding soup + pesto = the perfect marriage

I hope ya’ll love this soup so much, you wanna marry it! If you give this recipe a try, make sure to snap a photo or video of your cozy bowl of perfection and share it by tagging me on Instagram at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs.

Til next time, friends! XO!

Vegan Pesto Italian Wedding Soup

Ashley

Juicy, flavor-packed meatballs served in a simple, soothing broth with zesty homemade pesto sauce that's ready in just about 30 minutes! This Pesto Italian Wedding Soup is easy and wholesome, making for a meal that everyone is sure to love!

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Vegan

Cuisine Italian-inspired

Servings 6 to 8

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Meatballs:

• 1 pound vegan ground meat *see recipe notes
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 TBS Italian seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 prepared vegan egg such as Bob’s Red Mill (*see recipe notes)
• ½ cup vegan parmesan plus more for serving
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Pesto:

• 3 cups fresh basil
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes

Soup:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ cups chopped white onion about 1 onion
• 1 cup diced carrot about 2 carrots
• 1 cup diced celery about 2 stalks
• 6 cloves garlic smashed
• 10 cup vegan chick’n broth or vegetable broth
• 1 cup small soup pasta such as Acini de Pepe or Orzo
• Prepared meatballs recipe above
• 4 cups loosely packed roughly chopped kale
• Prepared pesto recipe above (*see recipe notes)
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice about 2 lemons
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegan parmesan cheese for serving
• Fresh julienned basil for serving, optional

Instructions

 

• INSTRUCTIONS:
• Preheat the oven broiler to high and set an oven rack on the setting right above the middle.
• To prepare the meatballs, place all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix well to combine. Using about 1 tablespoon of the mixture, use your hands to form about 30 (1-inch) meatballs. Transfer the meatballs to a lined baking sheet. Broil the meatballs until browned on each side, turning halfway through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, prepare the pesto and the soup. Place all the pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and smashed garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the broth and small soup pasta. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once the soup reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low, add the prepared meatballs, cover and simmer until the pasta is fully cooked, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the kale and simmer another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, add the prepared pesto and fresh lemon juice and mix gently to combine. Serve immediately with vegan parmesan shreds and julienned basil. ENJOY!

Notes

* The meatballs have to be formed with vegan ground meat similar in texture to regular ground beef, such as Beyond Meat Ground, Good & Gather (Target’s Brand), Sweet Earth Foods, or Impossible. There are other brands depending on location, but it MUST be ground-like meat. Crumbles will not form into meatballs and they will fall apart in the soup
* Flax Egg or Chia Egg will work as well
* The pesto can be made ahead of time. It will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 5 days

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!