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    Home » Soups, Chilis & Stews » Italian Wedding Soup

    Published: Feb 2, 2023 by Carolyn

    Italian Wedding Soup

    This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Chilly weather calls for a nice big bowl of Italian Wedding Soup! This comforting recipe is made with cauliflower rice for a healthier low carb option. Only 3.7g net carbs per serving!

    Top down image of a white bowl filled with Italian Wedding Soup.

    You know that damp cold that chills you to the bone? The temperature might not even be that low, but the dreary, drizzly cold just moves right through you. That’s the kind of weather that screams for this Keto Italian Wedding Soup!

    It’s a rich warm broth full of succulent keto meatballs and sprinkled with plenty of Parmesan cheese. But skip the pasta and pop in some cauliflower rice instead. Now you’ve just amped up the nutrition and managed to warm yourself up at the same time.

    The perfect meal for the sort of damp cold that chills you right to the bone!

    A ladle filled with Italian wedding soup over the pot of soup.

    Why you need this soup recipe

    I have updated this recipe ever so slightly because I really wanted to include my make ahead meatballs. If you have some of these on hand, you can make this Italian Wedding Soup Recipe at a moment’s notice.

    So I am giving you three options for making this delicious keto soup. You can make the meatballs at the time you make them soup, and allow them to cook in the broth. Or you can make the meatballs and pre-cook them, and then add them to the soup at the end.

    Finally, you can make a big batch of the meatballs, freeze them, and add them to the soup in their frozen state. Just keep the soup simmering until the meatballs are warmed through!

    That’s what I’ve been doing lately: making the full batch of keto meatballs, baking them, and then freezing them. That way, I have quick meal options on chilly days. I also love them in Keto Meatball Casserole!

    Close up shot of Italian Wedding Soup in a white bowl.

    Ingredients you need

    • Keto meatballs: You can add them fresh, cooked, or frozen!
    • Chicken broth: I like to get a good keto-friendly bone broth for the best flavor.
    • Cauliflower rice: This takes the place of acini de pepe that is standard in Italian Wedding Soup. I swear you won’t taste any difference and it’s better for you!
    • Spinach: You can use fresh or frozen spinach for this recipe.
    • Parmesan: Sprinkle the top of your soup with plenty of Parmesan cheese for a real Italian meal.
    • Aromatics: Onion, celery, garlic.
    • Seasoning: Salt, pepper, oregano

    Step by Step Directions

    A collage of four images showing how to make low carb Italian Wedding Soup.

    1. Prepare the meatballs: Prepare the meatball mixture according to the directions. You can make them as big or as small as you like. Refrigerate or pre-cook the meatballs before adding to the soup.

    2. Sauté the aromatics: In a large saucepan or stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, celery, salt, and pepper and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

    3. Add the broth: Stir in the chicken broth and oregano and bring to a strong simmer. Add the cauliflower rice and the meatballs and cook until the meatballs are cooked or warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes.

    4. Add the spinach: Add the spinach leaves and cook until wilted, 2 minutes more. Season to taste and sprinkle with additional Parmesan.

    A ladle filling a white bowl with Keto Italian Wedding Soup with cauliflower rice.

    Expert Tips

    I recommend making the meatballs on the smaller side for this soup. They will cook through faster and you can get more per serving. I like to make mine about ¾ inches in diameter when uncooked. They will shrink as they cook.

    Most Italian Wedding Soup recipes have you cooking the meatballs right in the broth. But I really prefer them pre-cooked. They have more flavor and better texture, in my opinion.

    You can cook the meatballs from frozen right in the soup! Once you get the broth simmering, add them right in and let them thaw and warm through. They are pre-cooked so there’s no worry of undercooked meat.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why is it called Italian Wedding Soup?

    The name actually comes from a mistranslation of “minestra maritata”. This Italian phrase translates to “married soup” and refers to the marriage of ingredients, not to actual weddings. But isn’t it nice to imagine that it’s served at nuptial feasts to honor the bride and groom?

    What is Italian Wedding Soup made of?

    Italian Wedding Soup typically consists of meatballs, broth, spinach, and small, round pasta called Acini de Pepe. For this keto friendly version, I have replaced the pasta with cauliflower rice. And it’s just as tasty and even more nutritious!

    How many carbs are in Italian Wedding Soup?

    This Keto Italian Wedding Soup has 5.2g of carbs and 1.5g of fiber per serving. So it has only 3.7g net carbs per yummy bowl of soup.

    A white bowl filled with Italian Wedding Soup over a striped napkin.

    More delicious soup recipes

    • Buffalo Chicken Soup
    • Shrimp and Bacon Chowder
    • Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup
    • Cream of Asparagus Soup
    • Keto Mushroom Soup
    Banner showing Keto Soups and Stews Cookbook.
    Top down image of a white bowl filled with Italian Wedding Soup.

    Keto Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

    Chilly weather calls for a nice big bowl of Italian Wedding Soup! This comforting recipe is made with cauliflower rice for a healthier low carb option. Only 3.7g net carbs per serving!
    4.85 from 20 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: italian wedding soup
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 303kcal

    Ingredients

    Meatballs

    • ⅓ recipe Keto Meatballs

    Italian Wedding Soup

    • 2 tablespoon avocado oil
    • ¼ cup chopped onion
    • 4 stalks celery chopped
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 6 cups chicken broth
    • 2 cups riced cauliflower
    • 2 cups packed spinach leaves (or 1 cup frozen spinach)
    • Additional salt and pepper
    • Parmesan for sprinkling
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    Meatballs

    • Prepare the meatball mixture according to the directions. You can make them as big or as small as you like.
    • At this point, you can either refrigerate them and add to the soup to be cooked in the broth. Or you can pre-cook them and add to the soup at the end. You can even freeze them and add them straight to the broth from frozen.

    Italian Wedding Soup

    • In a large saucepan or stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, celery, salt, and pepper and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
    • Stir in the chicken broth and oregano and bring to a strong simmer. Add the cauliflower rice and the meatballs and cook until the meatballs are cooked or warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes.
    • Add the spinach leaves and cook until wilted, 2 minutes more. Season to taste and sprinkle with additional Parmesan.

    Notes

    Storage Information: Store the soup in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the soup for 2 months. 
    Nutrition Facts
    Keto Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
    Amount Per Serving (1 serving = 1 ½ cups (approx))
    Calories 303 Calories from Fat 182
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 20.2g31%
    Cholesterol 73mg24%
    Carbohydrates 5.2g2%
    Fiber 1.5g6%
    Protein 22.7g45%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    5.0K shares

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    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. ecbound says

      December 18, 2019 at 12:26 pm

      It seems like this soup shouldn’t have almost 4net carbs in it? Are they coming from the cauliflower?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        December 18, 2019 at 1:38 pm

        Cauliflower, onion, spinach…

        Reply
    2. Laura Reese says

      August 07, 2019 at 5:23 pm

      5 stars
      I love a new soup recipe! Perfect for fall.

      Reply
    3. Kellie Hemmerly says

      August 06, 2019 at 12:32 pm

      5 stars
      This is, by far, my favorite soup recipe….and bonus that it’s low carb!

      Reply
    4. Amy says

      August 06, 2019 at 12:18 pm

      5 stars
      Love this version of Italian soup! It’s so good!

      Reply
    5. Tanya Schroeder says

      August 06, 2019 at 11:51 am

      That pot is almost as lovely as the soup (which is my favorite kind of soup)!

      Reply
    6. Sara Welch says

      August 06, 2019 at 11:20 am

      5 stars
      This is everything that a gourmet soup should be, and then some! Looking forward to enjoying this for dinner tonight!

      Reply
    7. Lola says

      November 07, 2017 at 11:48 pm

      Hi Carolyn, as someone who is not a fan of Parmesan cheese at all, what can I replace it with in your recipe? I really want to make this soup!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        November 08, 2017 at 8:42 am

        Replace it with whatever cheese you like best!

        Reply
        • Lola says

          November 14, 2017 at 6:25 pm

          Thank you!!

          Reply
    8. Barbara Moy says

      November 07, 2017 at 10:16 am

      Rich, delicious, filling AND low carb. It can’t get much better than that. Thank you for the great recipe. This is now on our list for favorite soups. The addition of cauliflower rice instead of the traditional acini di pepe worked brilliantly. I used chard instead of spinach and 8 cups of homemade broth. We are looking forward to leftovers.

      Reply
    9. Donna Voets says

      October 28, 2017 at 12:12 pm

      This is the first recipe of yours that I have made…..came across it accidentally, and I was so excited when I found it because even though its Texas temp was 38 this morning, and just called for soup…..and I so love when I have all the ingredients on hand…it came out so tasty…..made as written except through in a parm rind in …hubby and I have been doing keto for 4 months now….I love cooking I just struggle with technology and no matter what app I have tried to use to figure out a nutritional chart for what I cook I just cant figure out how to do….so I am so happy I found you and after this flavorful first recipe and all the nutritional info at my finger tips ….I went straight to Amazon and ordered your book…I am so excited about this…I have a cookbook addiction…unfortunately most are unusable with this. WOE so I am happy to find you…

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        October 28, 2017 at 6:32 pm

        Thanks, Donna! And while most of the recipes in my book are new…this one happens to be in there too!

        Reply
    10. Mary says

      January 25, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      Made this soup last night and loved it! Next time I’ll add more cauliflower and spinach because I like a more stew-ish consistency.

      Reply
    11. Leanne says

      December 23, 2016 at 12:13 pm

      This was delicious. My Italian grandmother prepared Wedding Soup for us every Christmas Eve until she passed away a few years ago. This was very similar to hers…I think the celery is the key. Will make every year from now on! I did make one minor switch…I used Miracle Rice instead of the cauliflower, but I am sure it is equally delicious either way. Leftovers were even better the next day! Hope you have a blessed holiday and new year!

      Reply
    12. Cheryl says

      December 20, 2016 at 9:10 pm

      Carolyn,

      This was amazing! I used ground pork and pork rinds for the meatballs. Sooo gooood!!!! Thanks so much for all you do for us!

      Reply
    13. Karen says

      December 17, 2016 at 5:14 pm

      This is SO good. My non-paleo/primal/low carb hubs loved it. He helped with the meatballs … kept saying he didn’t feel it was going to be good because of the almond flour. Uh huh. Nonetheless. He’s a good sport. He tried the soup and had seconds. This soup is perfect. Thanks for hitting another one outta the park.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        December 18, 2016 at 7:24 am

        Yay, glad we won him over!

        Reply
    14. Denise says

      December 14, 2016 at 7:26 pm

      This soup is delicious! The meatballs were light and fluffy with the cheese and ground pork rinds. Perfect for surviving the polar vortex!

      Reply
    15. Kathy says

      December 13, 2016 at 10:18 am

      This soup was wonderful, of course! All your recipes work out so well for me. My family loved it, and the generous portion of meatballs even allowed for leftovers with a little extra broth added.This one will be a “regular” in our home.

      Reply
    16. Andrea says

      December 12, 2016 at 1:17 pm

      I made this soup this past weekend. It is delicious! Thank you so much for an excellent recipe! I also tried your gingerbread pancakes this weekend. They are great, too!

      Reply
    17. Marsha says

      December 12, 2016 at 9:15 am

      Split pea soup

      Reply
    18. Kelly M. says

      December 11, 2016 at 8:18 pm

      I love a good, rich chicken broth!

      Reply
    19. Betty says

      December 11, 2016 at 4:11 pm

      Excellent soup! Do you think it would be fine to freeze ??

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        December 11, 2016 at 6:26 pm

        I think so.

        Reply
    20. paul schaefer says

      December 11, 2016 at 3:20 pm

      this is my favorite soup.

      Reply
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