Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
These Italian wedding soup recipes are the best! Made with pepe acini, beef and chicken meatballs, carrots, celery, greens and Parmesan cheese. This soup is very tasty! Serve with crusty bread and a glass of wine and enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 8 cups of chicken broth
- 3 cups of baby spinach, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 1/2 cup uncooked acini di pepe pasta
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
FOR THE CHICKEN MEATBALLS
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup of Panko
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 pound chicken sausage, without wrapper
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
First, in a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, chicken sausage, panko, Parmesan, egg, oregano, basil, parsley and garlic powder; Season with salt and pepper to taste. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 3/4 to 1 inch meatballs, forming about 25 to 30 meatballs.
Then, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or casserole dish over medium heat. Add the meatballs, in batches, and cook until all sides are golden, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate; put aside.
Add 1 tablespoon of remaining olive oil to the pot. Add the garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in the chicken broth and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Stir in the acini di pepe, rosemary and meatballs; reduce heat and simmer until pasta is tender and meatballs are cooked through, about 9 to 12 minutes.
Stir in spinach, lemon juice and parsley until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes; Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan, if desired.
Happy Cooking Time.
