Inspired by a classic Italian Wedding Soup recipe, this cozy vegan soup features mini meatballs made from Impossible meat, a rich and savory tomato broth, fiber-rich kale, and tender orzo pasta.
about this recipe:
I made this soup four times while testing, which was not even necessary. It’s just so good that I kept making it. And I’ll probably make it later this week too. Tiny vegan meatballs are set afloat in the most flavorful vegan chicken broth that’s accented with tomato, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika along with plenty of perfectly cooked orzo in every bite.
One of my favorite things about this soup is it is still really good without the meatballs. Don’t get me wrong, you really should make the meatballs. But if you aren’t a fan of vegan meats or don’t feel like taking the extra time to make the meatballs, it’s still an A+ standalone soup.
I love this soup recipe because it’s
- easy to make
- a big batch for future lunches and quick dinners
- nostalgic
- cozy and comforting
- a complete meal in itself (but still great with toast!)
- packed with flavor!
what you’ll need to make this vegan soup:
The vegan mini meatballs require only 7 ingredients:
- minced garlic
- Italian seasoning
- red pepper flakes
- vegan parmesan
- Panko breadcrumbs
- soy milk
- Impossible or Beyond ground beef substitute
Please note: I have not tested this meatball recipe with any other meat substitutes, but if there is any interest in it, I will update this recipe with some other options.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for a substitution for vegan meat, you could try lentils, mushrooms, tempeh, or walnuts, adjusting the recipe and adding an egg replacer if necessary. You could also just use a can of beans in the soup to add protein instead of making meatballs.
To make the base of the soup, you’ll need the following simple vegan ingredients:
- a good quality olive oil
- onion
- celery
- carrot
- garlic
- tomato paste
- Italian seasoning
- smoked paprika
- red pepper flakes
- vegan chicken stock
- orzo
- bay leaves
- kale
You can use another small pasta like ditalini or small shells for this recipe, adjusting cook time as needed.
I recommend a mix of the low-sodium Not Chick’n bouillion cubes pictured above along with the Trader Joe’s Vegan Chickenless Seasoning Salt- in my opinion, this results in the most well-rounded flavor that isn’t too salty or bland. If you have a favorite stock recipe, go ahead and use it here!
how to make mini meatball and orzo soup:
This hearty and cozy Italian-inspired soup recipe couldn’t be easier to make! While the mini vegan meatballs are baking, you can prepare the soup and then it all comes together in one incredible bowl of soup.
First, you’ll be preparing your mini vegan meatballs. Simply mix all the meatball ingredients except the meat substitute into a large bowl. Let this mixture soak while your oven preheats and then mix in the Impossible meat.
You’ll bake the mini meatballs until evenly browned while you start the soup, which begins with a classic olive oil and mirepoix saute along with plenty of garlic and Italian seasoning as well as a touch of crushed red pepper and smoked paprika. You’ll also be adding tomato paste and cooking this down until caramelized in order to extract a deep tomato flavor in your broth.
Boil your soup and add the uncooked pasta, then simmer until the orzo is tender. Stir in a generous amount of chopped kale and add meatballs to each individual serving as desired.
troubleshooting, tips, FAQ, and more:
- I choose to bake the meatballs for this recipe because it required less active work while making the soup. You can pan fry the meatballs if you want, but the fussiness of turning each meatball to brown it evenly was not worth it to me.
- Be sure to really cook the tomato paste before moving on to the next step and bring the soup up to a boil before adding the orzo because these two steps give a chance to develop some deeper flavor, as the soup will cook fairly quickly once you’ve added the orzo.
- I recommend storing leftover soup and meatballs separately. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to six weeks.
- You might be of the opinion that vegan substitutes like Impossible aren’t healthy, but I am not here to argue about that! I encourage you to make thoughtful substitutions if you disagree with the ingredients I’ve suggested. There are so many ways to eat vegan, and this doesn’t happen to be a whole foods plant based recipe.
Vegan Italian Mini Meatball Orzo Soup
Inspired by a classic Italian Wedding Soup recipe, this cozy vegan soup features mini meatballs made from Impossible meat, a rich and savory tomato broth, fiber-rich kale, and tender orzo pasta.
Ingredients
for the mini vegan meatballs:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 c panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
- 1/4 c soy milk
- 1 package Impossible ground beef substitute
for the orzo soup:
- 2 tbsp good quality olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 3 stalks of celery, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 c tomato paste
- 8 cups vegan chicken broth* or a mix of broth and water
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 3 bay leaves
- 6–8 stalks of kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
Instructions
- To make the meatballs, preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large bowl, add all of the meatball ingredients except the meat substitute. Stir well and let this mixture soak for 10 minutes before mixing in the vegan ground beef. Form this mixture into mini meatballs, about 1 scant tablespoon or 15-16 grams. Gently roll each ball in your hands (clean wet hands work best for this). Line the meatballs up on the baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between them. This recipe should make 25-27 meatballs.
- Transfer the pan to the oven for 8 minutes, then remove and flip each mini meatball and return to the oven for 5-8 more minutes or until evenly browned but still moist. Set the meatballs aside when they’re finished cooking.
- Meanwhile, start your soup. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery along with a pinch of salt and cook for 8-10 minutes until softened and slightly browned in spots. Add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and tomato paste and stir well. Add a splash of water to help the tomato paste loosen up and coat the veggies evenly. Cook this mixture for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- To the soup pot, add the vegan chicken broth and bay leaves. Increase the heat to high and allow the soup to come to a rolling boil before adding the orzo and decreasing the heat to medium-low. Allow the soup to simmer steadily until the orzo is al dente, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped and washed kale and cook until the kale has wilted into the soup. Taste the broth and add more salt or other ingredients if desired. Add the meatballs and stir through or reserve them to add to individual servings.
- Serve the soup garnished with vegan parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. I recommend storing leftover soup and meatballs separately.
Notes
- for this recipe, I usually use 2 cubes of the Edwards & Sons Not Chick’n Bouillion along with 2 tsp of the Trader Joe’s Vegan Chickenless Seasoning dissolved in 8 cups of water.
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