Vegetarian Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup

Total time1 hr 5 min

Prep time25 min

Cook time30 min

Vegetarian Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup

Tender little meatballs simmer in a deeply savory broth alongside sweet carrots, celery, and onion, all built right in the Instant Pot for a fast, weeknight-friendly version of the classic. A soft, garlicky Parmesan-and-breadcrumb binder keeps each bite light instead of dense, while acini di pepe pasta and wilted escarole give the soup its signature texture and just enough green freshness. Everything cooks together under pressure so the flavors meld quickly, then gets finished with a shower of grated Parmesan for a little extra richness on top. It's a comforting, ladle-it-up kind of soup that still delivers that cozy, restaurant-style depth in well under an hour. This version comes together easily as a solid pick for a vegetarian table, with no loss of the cozy, wintery flavor the original is known for.

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the meatballs

1 lb ground pork
CHi Organic Plant-Based Ground Pork Original Hungry Planet Plant-Based Ground Pork, Vegan Omnipork Ground Plant-Based Prok-Style Ground
See all
Chef's tip
Pick the form that matches the recipe - a raw, moldable ground for patties, meatballs, or meatloaf; crumbles only for loose browned meat. Cook it in the recipe like the meat, checking doneness against the package guidance.
½ lb ground beef (80/20)
Chef's tip
Pick the form that matches the recipe - a raw, moldable ground for patties, meatballs, or meatloaf; crumbles only for loose browned meat. Cook it in the recipe like the meat, checking doneness against the package guidance.
⅓ cup plain breadcrumbs
¼ cup whole milk
1 large egg
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper

For the soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Chef's tip
Use the same amount of low-sodium vegetable broth. The dish will be a little lighter in flavor than with chicken broth.
1 parmesan rind (about 2–3 inches) (optional)
Omit this
This ingredient likely doesn’t work for the diet.
¾ cup acini di pepe pasta (uncooked)
4 cups escarole, roughly chopped
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste

For serving

grated parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk and let stand for 2 minutes until the breadcrumbs absorb the milk and form a paste. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, soaked breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until just combined — do not overwork the mixture.
2
Roll the meat mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter (roughly 1 tablespoon each) and arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. You should have about 36–40 meatballs. Refrigerate while you prepare the soup base.

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