Alright, let’s dive into my kitchen adventure from yesterday – making vegan Italian wedding soup! I’ve been craving something warm and comforting, and this seemed like a fun challenge to veganize.
First things first: prepping the ingredients. I chopped up a bunch of veggies – carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Gotta have that aromatic base, right? I totally winged it on the amounts, just eyeballed everything until it looked good.
Next, the “meatballs.” Now, I’m no magician, but I did some research and decided to go with a mix of lentils, breadcrumbs, and some Italian seasoning. So, I cooked up some green lentils until they were nice and soft, then mashed ’em up good. Mixed that with breadcrumbs (used the Italian seasoned kind for extra flavor!), garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and a little bit of olive oil. Rolled them into tiny little balls – seriously, they were small! – and set them aside.
Time to build the soup! I heated up some olive oil in a big pot and sautéed the chopped veggies until they were softened. Then I added some vegetable broth – I used the “no chicken” kind – and brought it to a boil.
Here’s where it gets interesting. I gently dropped the lentil meatballs into the boiling broth. I was a little worried they’d fall apart, but they held up surprisingly well! I let them simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until they were cooked through.
While the meatballs were cooking, I prepped the pasta. I used acini di pepe – those tiny little pasta balls that are classic in Italian wedding soup. Cooked them separately according to the package directions, then drained them and set them aside. I didn’t want them to get mushy in the soup.
Almost there! Once the meatballs were cooked, I added the cooked pasta to the pot. Then came the greens. Traditional Italian wedding soup uses escarole, but I couldn’t find any at my local grocery store, so I substituted spinach. Threw in a big handful and let it wilt.
Taste test time! I seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little bit more Italian seasoning. Honestly, it tasted pretty darn good! Maybe a little bland, so I added a squeeze of lemon juice for some brightness.
- My key ingredients:
- Veggies: carrots, celery, onion, garlic
- Lentils (green)
- Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- Vegetable broth (no chicken)
- Acini di pepe pasta
- Spinach
- Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice
The Verdict
Overall, I’d say this vegan Italian wedding soup was a success! It was warm, comforting, and surprisingly flavorful. The lentil meatballs were a great substitute for the traditional meat, and the spinach added a nice touch of green. I’ll definitely be making this again! Next time, I might try adding some cannellini beans for extra protein and creaminess.
It’s definitely worth trying, and don’t be afraid to experiment with the ingredients! That’s the best part about cooking, right?
