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Vegan Italian Wedding Soup

By Melissa Huggins / 56 Comments

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Warm up on a chilly night with a bowl of this Vegan Italian Wedding Soup. It's brimming with veggies, pasta pearls, and savory vegan meatballs. It's a cinch to make and you can use homemade or store-bought vegan meatballs.

overhead view of two white bowls filled with vegan italian wedding soup.

After perfecting my Vegan Meatballs a few weeks ago, I realized that the possibilities were endless now. I'm talking Meatball Subs, Swedish Meatballs, Meatball Vegan Pizza and this Vegan Italian Wedding Soup.

This was a childhood favorite of mine, and I haven't tried a vegan version until now. What was I waiting for? This is GOOD!

Seriously, who wouldn't love pasta and meatballs together in a savory broth? **Crickets** It's pure comfort and I just can't get enough!

HOW DO I MAKE VEGAN ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP?

(full ingredient amount in recipe card below)

3 process photos of sautéing onions, carrots and celery for vegan italian meatball soup.

  • Sauté onions, celery, and carrots until slightly tender.
  • Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until lightly browned.
  • Now add the thyme and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.

three process photos of adding broth, kale and pasta to sautéd veggies in a white pot.

  • Add the pasta broth, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a medium simmer and cook until pasta is al dente about 10 minutes.
  • Now add the kale and cook for 1-2 minutes to soften. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
  • Add meatballs to the serving bowls and ladle soup on top.

two white bowls filled with vegan italian weeding soup. Fresh parsley and vegan parmesan on the side.

WHAT GOES WITH VEGAN ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP?

I serve it with Vegan Parmesan Cheese, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, Fresh-Cut Parsley, Lemon Wedges, and Fresh-Cracked Pepper. It goes great with a big loaf of crusty bread with a side of Vegan Butter too. YUM!

DOES ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP FREEZE WELL?

Yes, it freezes really well. However, I freeze the vegan meatballs separately so they don't fall apart on the reheat. Just bake or air fry them before adding to the bowls with the reheated soup.

CAN I USE STORE-BOUGHT MEATBALLS FOR ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP?

I absolutely love this soup with my homemade meatball recipe, but if you want a quicker option, you can use store-bought meatballs. I've used Gardein Vegan Meatballs before and the soup was delicious! If you use the store-bought, make sure to cook according to package instructions before adding them to the soup.

closeup view of vegan italian weeding soup in a white bowl with spoon inside.

Looking for more comforting soup recipes? Here are my faves:

I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

If you make this Vegan Italian Wedding Soup, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.

 

Recipe

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5 from 31 votes

Vegan Italian Wedding Soup

Warm up on a chilly night with a bowl of this Vegan Italian Wedding Soup. It's brimming with veggies, pasta pearls, and savory vegan meatballs.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, Italian, Vegan
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 168kcal
Author: Melissa Huggins

Ingredients

  • 1 batch homemade vegan meatballs , or store-bought (*see note)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion , diced
  • 3 medium carrots , diced
  • 2 ribs celery , diced
  • 4-5 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 10 cups vegetable broth , low sodium (*see note)
  • ¾ cup acini de pepe pasta , uncooked
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt , more to taste
  • Fresh cracked pepper , to taste
  • 2 cups chopped kale (sub spinach)

Recommended Equipment

  • 1 Large Pot

Instructions

  • In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat and add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until tender and about 5-6 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
  • Add dried thyme and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  • Now add the broth, pasta, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Turn heat up to get broth boiling and then turn down to a medium simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes until pasta is al dente. 
  • Add the chopped kale and cook for 1-2 minutes until wilted. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Remove bay leaf.
  • Next, add the meatballs to the broth and gently cook for 1-2 minutes to heat throughout (*read note if you are using my homemade meatballs). Ladle soup in bowls and serve. See note for serving/topping ideas. Enjoy!

Notes

Store-Bought Vegan Meatballs:  I've used Gardein Vegan Meatballs and they were delicious in the soup. Make sure to cook according to package instructions before adding them to the soup (I usually airfry them). You can also make meatballs using Beyond or Impossible ground and add seasoning (or use their premade ones). Pan fry them on medium heat in oil, searing them on all sides before use. 
Homemade Vegan Meatballs: If you anticipate leftovers, I recommend adding only the number of meatballs you plan to eat in one sitting. When left in the broth for an extended period, the meatballs can become overly soft and lose their texture. This way, you can store the remaining meatballs separately and keep them firm for your next meal.
Pasta - If you can't find acini de pepe, you can also use ditalini, stelline, or any type of tiny pasta. You can use orzo, but I recommend reducing the amount to ½ cup or adding more broth to the recipe so it doesn't take over the soup. 
Broth: You can swap some of the broth for water if you want a milder flavor or to reduce the salt. The right balance depends on your taste and the brand you’re using. This soup will also work with vegan chicken broth.
Flavor Enhancer: For an extra layer of flavor, add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste to the pan along with the dried herbs. Sauté for 30-60 seconds then proceed with the recipe as written. 
Serving: Serve with crusty bread and top with Vegan Parmesan Cheese, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, Fresh-Cut Parsley, Squeeze of Lemon, and Fresh-Cracked Pepper. 
Nutritional info doesn't include the vegan meatballs. You can find that under my meatball recipe post or on the package if you use store-bought. 
Cook time doesn't include homemade vegan meatballs. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl (2 cups) | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 426mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
Tried this recipe?Follow me @veganhuggs and mention #veganhuggs!

 

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About Melissa

I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too! Read more...

Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 31 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Lacey

    5 stars
    A wonderful and easy recipe especially for a chilly weekend. I did add some shredded parm cheese on top as garnish. Will be making this again!

    Reply

    • Melissa Huggins

      Hi Lacey, I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup! Thank you for taking time to share feedback. 🙂

      Reply

  2. Lili

    5 stars
    Ive made this soup about a dozen times now, it’s my family’s very favorite! I serve it with fresh baked Italian bread and Myokos butter.Perfecto! I make the meatballs “mini”, about an inch, so that we get them in almost every bite. Ive been following you on facebook for many years now, and your recipes are always amazing! Ironically, my brain only just registered that this is a Vegan Huggs recipe, its been bookmarked as a favorite for so long 🙂

    Reply

    • Melissa Huggins

      Hi Lili, your comment made my day! I'm so happy this recipe has become a favorite! Sounds perfect with the bread and mini meatballs. Thank you for the wonderful feedback. 🙂 (thanks for the FB follow too)

      Reply

  3. Barbara

    5 stars
    Hi Melissa,
    This is a wonderful recipe!! I made your vegan meatballs too, and after many experiments wity other recipes,
    your vegan meatballs are THE ONES!!!
    My only other comment is that perhaps you should remind people to take the bay leaves out of the soup before
    serving.. This delicious recipe is definitely going into ny regular rotation!
    I cant wait to try more of your recipes

    Reply

    • Melissa Huggins

      Hi Barbara, this is the greatest compliment! I'm so happy you love both recipes. Thank you for making them and sharing feedback. I added the reminder to remove the bay leaves. 🙂

      Reply

      • Drewbie

        Hi friend! I think you accidentally added "Remove bay Keaves" to the recipe instead. Don't want a typo to affect what seems like a delicious recipe 🙂

      • Melissa Huggins

        Thank you so much for catching that! It's all fixed now. 🙂

  4. Emily

    5 stars
    Hi Meslissa, I made this for my college meal prep to have something easy on my system to heat up and go. My non-veg friends were in love. I used store bought meatballs for lack of a food processor, but the soup is delish either way!

    Reply

    • Melissa Huggins

      So glad it was a hit, Emily! Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback. 🙂

      Reply

  5. Meredith

    5 stars
    Made this recipe including the linked veg ball recipe and really enjoyed the flavor combo. All the extra spices in the veggie balls added a lot of flavor and nice texture to the soup. I’ve been vegan for so long that I don’t think I’ve ever actually tried traditional Italian Wedding Soup but I really enjoyed this vegan version. And the veggie balls inspired me to start testing out some homemade veggie burger recipes. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Melissa Huggins

      Hi Meredith, I'm so happy you love the recipe and will find uses for the meatball recipe. I'm sure the burgers will be delish! Thank you for trying the recipe. 🙂

      Reply

  6. Therese

    5 stars
    Made this last night for dinner...I added about 1/2 - 3/4 cup more acini de pepe pasta, because as it was cooking it didn't look like 3/4 cup was going to be enough...(and because I love pasta). BOY did it fill the pot! LOL. But hubby and I LOVED it! He said it was more like a Italian Wedding STEW than a soup - but absolutely delish! He made his own meat(less) balls using Impossible ground meat and Beyond Ital sausage w/seasonings, eggs and breadcrumbs. (we're vegetarian)

    Reply

    • Melissa Huggins

      Hi Therese, I'm so happy you both loved the recipe. I totally understand the additional pasta. It must've been delish that way. Thank you for trying the soup and sharing your wonderful feedback. 🙂

      Reply

  7. Joanna

    5 stars
    Made this for myself, husband, and toddler today. It was so easy and absolutely delicious! A warming tasty weeknight meal that comes together in 30 minutes (I used store bought meatballs) Thank you for this recipe! Will make again and again.

    Reply

    • Melissa Huggins

      Hi Joanna, I'm so happy you loved the recipe. Thanks you for trying it and sharing your feedback. 🙂

      Reply

  8. Richards S.

    5 stars
    I made this the other day for myself and my daughter, hoping I would have extra to bring to work. My daughter went crazy with this and I'm glad I at least has a small bowl.

    Reply

    • Melissa Huggins

      Haha, glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks for trying the recipe Richard. 🙂

      Reply

  9. Becky Campbell

    5 stars
    We absolutely love this recipe! I make my broth from veggie scraps that I keep in the freezer. I also use store-bought meatballs. Making some today with Pure plant-based which I have not tried but loved Beyond Meat and Gardein. My husband likes the meatballs smaller so I cut them up after they are baked. Then I add them to the soup. It adds flavor to the soup and the soup adds flavor to the meatballs! I then freeze in 2 serving containers for later. Just delicious!

    Reply

    • Support @ Vegan Huggs

      Hi Becky! We are so happy to heat that you loved the recipe 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply