My Gluten Free Italian Wedding Soup was inspired by my childhood favorite that my Mom would always make around the holidays. Between the mini meatballs, scrambled egg, and other fresh ingredients this recipe will have you running back for more! This homemade Italian Wedding Soup Recipe is super easy to make and I can assure you it will become a staple in your home!
Soup season is my favorite season, it is why I have so many soup recipes on my blog. While this recipe is my absolute favorite, a few of my other favorites are my Dairy Free Lobster Bisque, Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup, Instant Pot Turkey Soup, Cauliflower Leek Soup and my Thai Shrimp Soup. For my family soup is the best kind of meal to have on hand for these cold Fall and Winter days. Although you cannot freeze this soup with the pasta or egg in it, you can freeze it with the base so that it is easier to prep on busy weeknights.
Jump to:
- Why We Love This Recipe
- Ingredients List
- Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Recipe Instructions
- Optional Meatball Instructions
- Recipe Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- Storage Instructions
- Are you interested in a guide of my go to healthy alternatives?
- Other Gluten Free Soup Recipes You Will Love
- Gluten Free Italian Wedding Soup
Why We Love This Recipe
- This recipe tastes just like my childhood favorite despite it being gluten free, dairy free, soy free, nut free, paleo friendly and grain free. It can also be made egg free and keto friendly if you do not include the orzo or add the eggs in. The soup can also be made vegan friendly if you make it without the meatballs and egg. You can also make this recipe nightshade free.
- You can batch make this soup and freeze it.
- You can buy pre-made meatballs or buy your own.
- This recipe is versatile, you can adapt to use the vegetables on hand if needed.
- Unlike traditional Italian wedding soup where most original recipe have gluten and dairy in them, this recipe does not have any dairy or gluten in it.
- This recipe reminds me of my Mom’s Italian wedding soup that I used to eat growing up.
Ingredients List
- Gluten free orzo-I use the Jovial brand. It is not only gluten free, but it is also dairy free. I get mine off of Thrive Market. I have found you can get the best bang for your buck with their stuff. If you use my Thrive Market link, you can save up to $40 on your first order. You can also use other gluten-free pasta but this kind is my favorite because it is grain free too.
- Baby spinach-I love adding in greens where I can. The spinach adds some nice color to it and some fiber. I chop it up finely and add it in.
- Bone broth-Any delicious broth will work. You can use chicken broth, beef broth or even turkey broth. I also sometimes like to make my own broth using my Homemade AIP Bone Broth too! Any flavorful broth will work. The bone broth in this soup makes it rich in flavor. Do not try using water!
- Carrot coins-I love carrots in my wedding soup. Personally I do not take the skin off, I just wash them and chop them into coins.
- Chopped onions-Any kind of onions will work. If you like sweet onions, use a yellow or white onion. If you like more of a savory taste, you can use red onions.
- Meatballs-You can use store bought gluten free meatballs or make your own. I will include the recipe and instructions for both kinds in this recipe. I personally like making my own juicy meatballs with ground meat because I like teeny tiny meatballs vs large meatballs. To get tiny little meatballs, I use a small cookie scoop. If I am making my own meatballs, I prefer to use ground beef but you can also use ground pork, ground turkey or even ground chicken. If you are making your own meatballs, you will also want to have a little bit of sea salt, onion powder, garlic powder and parsley to roll in the meatballs.
- Italian seasoning-This adds flavor to the soup. I like using a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, oregano and parsley.
- Avocado oil-To sauté the onions, garlic, sea salt and carrots in.
- Eggs-I like to crack a large egg and make some scrambled eggs prior to serving the soup. It adds some extra protein and is a nice added touch. It reminds me of how my Mom did it growing up too
- Fresh herbs-To garnish. I like using fresh parsley!
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- If you are lower carb, you can substitute cauliflower rice for the gluten-free orzo or leave it out entirely. If you are making a big batch and wanting to freeze it, you can also freeze it with the cauliflower rice vs. you cannot with the orzo substitute. Any kind of gluten free small pasta will also work too.
- Parmesan cheese-My mom always added cheese in hers growing up but being dairy free I leave it out now, you can add it in if you would like or add in a non-dairy parmesan or nutritional yeast to give it that cheesy like flavor.
- Italian sausage-You can chop this into coins and throw it in the soup like you would for the meatballs.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you add or remove any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Recipe Instructions
Optional Meatball Instructions
- Add your meat and seasonings to a large mixing bowl. Then, roll into tiny balls. I like to use a small 1/2 inch scooper. Scoop the meatballs and add to a plate. In a frying pan, add a little bit of cooking oil and saute for 3-4 minutes or until they are golden brown and they reach the appropriate internal temperature for the kind of meat you are using.
Recipe Tips
- Wait to add in the orzo and eggs until you are ready to serve! If you add the orzo and eggs in early, they will become mushy.
- Do not skip sautéing the onions with the other herbs, this will really enhance the flavor of the recipe.
Recipe FAQs
The original name “minestra maritata” translates to married broth with the combination of meat and greens together in a both. It is quite literally the most perfect combination!
Minestrone soup usually contains a ton of vegetables, beans and pasta. Wedding soup does not normally contain beans and usually has meatballs or sausage in it.
Storage Instructions
- You can store this recipe in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. If you know you are prepping this recipe rather than making it to immediately eat, add the orzo and eggs when you are ready to serve. If the orzo or eggs sit in the fridge or freezer with the soup, it will turn mushy.
- This recipe can also last in the freezer for up to 3 months in a glass container. Just be sure to add the orzo and eggs when you are ready to serve.
Are you interested in a guide of my go to healthy alternatives?
Download your FREE guide below.
Other Gluten Free Soup Recipes You Will Love
Gluten Free Italian Wedding Soup
Equipment
- soup pot
Ingredients
- 1 whole onion Yellow if you prefer sweet, purple if you prefer savory. Diced.
- 3 cups carrots Washed and cut into coins.
- 3 cups spinach chopped
- 1 box gluten free orzo I get mine from Thrive Market and use the Jovial brand. Use my link and save $40 on your first order. If you plan on storing this recipe in the fridge or freezer, wait to add the orzo until you are ready to serve.
- 3 whole eggs Cracked. Omit for egg free. Wait to add the eggs until you are ready to serve.
- 2 tbsp cooking oil Avocado oil, ghee, or butter.
- 64 ounces bone broth Any kind of broth will work. I will say if you are using beef meatballs, use beef broth. If you are using chicken meatballs, use chicken broth.
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp dried parsley
Optional: frozen meatballs (omit for meat free)
- 1 pound meatballs Frozen would work. Make sure they are gluten free:
Optional: fresh meatballs (omit for meat free)
- 1 pound ground beef I love Butcher Boxes grass fed beef. Use my link and get free beef for life! You can also use any other kind of ground meat of your liking.
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
Instructions
For the soup:
- First, add your cooking oil of choice to a large soup pot on medium-high heat on the stove top. Once the The cooking oil is hot, add in the onions, spinach, Italian seasonings and salt to the pan. Saute until the spinach is wilted.
- Next, add in the carrots and soften in the oil for 5 minutes. Once the 5 minutes is up, add in the broth and bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
- Now, in a separate pan scramble the eggs you have on hand and set aside.
- Lastly, add in the meatballs (if you are using those in your soup) and pour in the orzo. Bring the orzo and broth mixture to a boil for 8 minutes. Add in the eggs when you are ready to serve. Serve with optional parsley on top.
Optional homemade meatball instructions:
- Add your meat and seasonings to a large mixing bowl. Then, roll into tiny balls. I like to use a small 1/2 inch scooper. Scoop the meatballs and add to a plate. In a frying pan, add a little bit of cooking oil and saute for 3-4 minutes or until they are golden brown and they reach the appropriate internal temperature for the kind of meat you are using.
Leave a Reply