This Italian wedding soup in the Instant Pot is the perfect marriage of Italian-inspired meatballs and veggie soup. It’s delicious no matter what time of year it is, and easily fits low-carb and GAPS Diet lifestyles, with a paleo option, as well.

This Italian wedding soup in the Instant Pot is the perfect marriage of Italian-inspired meatballs and veggie soup. #italian #weddingsoup #instantpot #paleo #gapsdiet #keto #lowcarb #glutenfree

Italian soup for a non-Italian wedding.

I was hooked with my first taste of wedding soup. It just so happened that my mom’s boss was married to an Italian, and she was a great cook. One night I was having dinner at her house when she served up a big pot of Italian wedding soup with garlic bread. I was pretty sure I was in soup heaven. Meatballs, veggies, pasta, Parmesan cheese… you can’t get much perfecter in soup than that. I loved the soup so much that I asked her to make it for my wedding a few months later. She obliged and served the 200+ guests at my reception her Italian wedding soup.

Since then I’ve made wedding soup once or twice, with gluten-free pasta, of course. But since going on a mostly grain-free diet (yay GAPS!) I hadn’t tried to make it. Then last month my friend Emily sent me a copy of her latest cookbook, Low-Carb Cooking with Your Instant Pot. When I the Italian wedding soup I knew it was a sign that I needed to try it again.

And it was everything that I remembered.

Low-Carb Cooking with Your Instant Pot

Just like you’d imagine, this cookbook is full of delicious low-carb meals that the whole family will enjoy. Low-Carb Cooking in Your Instant Pot contains 80 easy recipes for everything from comfort food, side dishes and desserts. While the Italian wedding soup was definitely first on the to-try list, there are quite a few my kids are begging for…

  • Cheesy Veggie-Stuffed Meatloaf
  • Mediterranean Lamb-Stuffed Bell Peppers
  • Savory Ranch Chicken
  • Crustless Veggie & Bacon Quiche
  • Garlic-Herb Brussels Sprouts
  • High-Fat Greek Spinach Dip
  • Luscious Chocolate Custard
  • Low-Carb Key Lime Cheesecake
  • Carrot Cake

Besides this delicious cookbook, Emily and her husband have also authored two other cookbooks: Amazing Mexican Favorites with Your Instant Pot and  The Art of Great Cooking in Your Instant Pot. They’re both amazing cookbooks and you can see my reviews of them in my Chicken Fajitas in the Instant Pot and Honey Orange Pumpkin Pie in the Instant Pot posts! 

Get the cookbook here.

Italian Wedding Soup in the Instant Pot

Emily’s version uses fresh herbs, which I’m sure would be delicious, but I just used dried because that’s what I had on hand. I also left out two of the soup ingredients – fennel and tomatoes – since I knew a few of my kiddos would complain about them. I have absolutely no doubt they would both be delicious in the soup and add a level of flavor that wasn’t in mine. Regardless my version was still SO delicious and my family devoured it in no time!

Another way I changed the recipe to suit myself was in the preparation. Emily sautés her onion, fennel and garlic in butter, avocado oil, or ghee before adding the remaining ingredients. I skipped this step and just dumped everything into the Instant Pot at the same time. ‘Cause that’s the way I roll… or at least that’s how I cook. 

Low-Carb Cooking with Your Instant Pot

More delicious Instant Pot recipes.

If you’re on the lookout for more delicious recipes to make in your Instant Pot, here are a few of my family’s favorites. They’re all healthy, real food, and grain-free.

This Italian wedding soup in the Instant Pot is the perfect marriage of Italian-inspired meatballs and veggie soup. #italian #weddingsoup #instantpot #paleo #gapsdiet #keto #lowcarb #glutenfree

In the recipe card I’ve linked to some of the products from my affiliate partners that I like to use. Purchasing through these links won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks!

Italian Wedding Soup in the Instant Pot

Free from grain, gluten, and sugar, with dairy-free option.

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 1 pound grass-fed ground beef
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley (or 2 tablespoons dried)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint (or 1 tablespoon dried)
  • 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (leave out for paleo version)

For the soup:

  • 1/2 small onion, diced
  • 1 small bulb fennel, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes, seeds removed, coarsely chopped (optional)
  • 4 large celery ribs with leaves, cut into 1/4 inch thick pieces
  • 2 small zucchini, thickly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
  • zest of 1 lemon (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley (or 2 tablespoons dried)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint (or 1 tablespoon dried)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)
  • 4 cups chicken or veggie broth
  • 4 cups fresh organic spinach (I used kale ’cause my kids don’t like spinach)
  • shredded or grated Parmesan cheese, as needed (leave out for paleo version)

Instructions

For meatballs:

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together with hands until everything is incorporated.

Roll into 2-inch balls and set aside on a plate.

For the soup:

Put all the soup ingredients except kale and Parmesan in the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Add the meatballs on top, making sure they’re covered with liquid.

Put the lid on the Instant Pot, seal the valve, and set the IP to manual for 13 minutes. When it beeps, push warm/cancel and let natural release for 5 minutes, then turn the valve to vent and let out all the pressure.

Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and add in the kale, stirring until it’s all wilted. 

Serve hot with Parmesan cheese for garnish, if desired.

Notes

I use the Instant Pot Duo 6 quart 7-in-1 for this recipe.

Recipe taken from Low-Carb Cooking with Your Instant Pot by Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri & Rudy Vidaurri. Used with permission.

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