Vegan Italian Wedding Soup

Vegan Italian Wedding Soup

During these long-long-long...did I say long...cold months? Great to come home after a tiring day working, to have something comforting. Comforting to help keep you cozy and warm at night. Soup is a natural winner! With it's hearty ingredients and rich steamy broth you are all set for a warm up. This recipe shows you how to make a traditional and beloved soup that has everything you would want from a comforting soup. Traditional called Italian Wedding Soup. The term "wedding soup" is a mistranslated of the Italian language phrase "minestra maritata" ("married soup")," which is a reference to the fact that green vegetables and meats go well together. Seeing that this recipe is a vegan remake I think the recipe lives up to it's famous name. It's filled with veggies and vegan meatballs in a flavorful broth. These ingredients definitely go well together and will make anybody ask for seconds! Easy to make and makes plenty to put in the freezer for quick reheat meals on the go. Serve it along side your favorite crusty bread and remember to go back for seconds...or thirds, your body will thank you for the warm up. Enjoy!

Vegan Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

1 package (tub) LightLife vegan ground sausage
1/4 cup vegan bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 teaspoon dill (fresh or dried)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 Tablespoon vegan Parmesan 

1-2 green onions, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons vegan milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the soup:

2 Tablespoons oil (your choice)
1 medium yellow onion
2 large carrots, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
2 stalks celery (plus leaves), cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 large clove garlic, minced finely
10 cups vegan chicken stock

1 Tablespoon parsley, minced
1 cup small pasta, such as tubetini or stars
16 ounces baby spinach, washed 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees

Meatballs

To start, place the ground vegan sausage, bread crumbs, vegan milk cornstarch garlic, parsley, green onion, dill, nutritional yeast, vegan Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork (or your hands).

*This step is fun off the kids to help with, messy but fun!

With a Tablespoon, roll and drop vegan meatballs onto a greased sheet pan.

*They don't have to be perfectly round.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

Soup

Chop and prepare the vegetables for the soup. 

Among the veggies: 3 garlic cloves, 1 for soup & 2 for meatballs

Carrot

Celery with Leaves

Onions

Washed & Prepped Spinach

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and herbs and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the vegan chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Once the veggies in the soup have become tender. Add the pasta the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender.

Add the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper.

Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted.

Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra vegan Parmesan. Serve along side your favorite fresh crusty bread. Great served after a long day and freezes perfectly for quick on the go reheat meals. Nothing better than a homemade soup from the heart. Enjoy!

Ready to Serve Soup

-Amy