Slow Cooker Vegan Italian Wedding Soup is a delicious and satisfying plant-based alternative to this classic comfort food. Plus, it’s super easy to make within the slow cooker.Steve and I even have gotten right into a nice pattern these past few weeks – it’s called slow cooker Sundays. Every Sunday morning/afternoon, we throw ingredients within the slow cooker, move on with our day after which have dinner ready for us within the evening in addition to loads of leftovers for the week ahead. As much as I enjoy cooking, I definitely don’t enjoy cooking on a regular basis. That’s why I really like batch cooking – making large quantities of meals to have leftovers for lunch or dinner for the week or to freeze for an additional time once we’re in a dinner pinch.

I’m really looking forward to spring-like temperatures across the corner but I’m going to shed a tear when it comes time to bid adieu to the slow cooker until next winter (not saying you’ll be able to’t use the slow cooker all 12 months round but I are inclined to use it more throughout the winter months).

I’m noticing one other pattern too with my recipes on the blog – making all of the plant-based versions of recipes I used to enjoy way back within the day before I ended eating meat. Like my Vegetarian Buffalo Cauliflower Wing Dip that was a HUGE hit (oh, god I sound like Trump – HELP) for the Super Bowl this 12 months and now this vegan version of Italian Wedding Soup.

I even have vague memories of eating Italian Wedding Soup as a child but what I do remember is being psyched that there was pasta and meatballs in a bowl of soup! Speaking of pasta, this recipe calls for acini di pepe pasta and once I told my husband what form of pasta we would have liked, he said “oh yeah, pee pee pasta.” Still learning things about my husband after oh, 14 years of knowing the guy.

I used to be reeeeeeeeallly satisfied with this recipe. It took two tests but I believe we nailed it. Carnivore husband approved AND meat-eating friend who got here over to look at the Oscars with us approved. So, there’s that. Did I mention that this soup is ultra satisfying? My mother recently called me the soup lady once I told her we were having this recipe for dinner (apparently she thinks we make quite a lot of soup…we do). But she doesn’t understand how we will just eat soup for dinner…which I all the time correct her that we’re having soup AND bread :). But when the soup you make is loaded with pasta, veggies and protein, it’s totally satiating. No less than to my body it’s. 

I made chickpea meatballs for this soup recipe – really easy to make within the food processor after which sautéed ’em to brown ’em and finished them off within the oven. Really delicious flavor with the dried basil and parsley and umami flavor from the vegan parm cheese. Coupled with the savory flavor of the soup, I could eat bowls on bowls on bowls of this.

So, before winter is over, bust out the slow cooker and make this soup! It’s comforting, satisfying and VEGAN!

Print

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For the soup:

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 cups vegetable broth
• 10 ounces baby spinach
• 1 cup acini di pepe pasta (or pastina/stars pasta)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Extra freshly ground black pepper and vegan parmesan cheese for serving

For the vegan “meatballs”:

• 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 2 1/2 tablespoons water)
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs + 2 tablespoons, divided (each panko and regular work tremendous)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons vegan parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the soup:

1. Within the slow cooker, add onion, celery, carrot, garlic and vegetable broth. Cook on low for five hours.
2. With 20 minutes left in cooking time, stir in the child spinach and pasta. After 20 minutes, turn off the slow cooker, add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve with vegan meatballs and freshly ground black pepper and vegan parmesan cheese.

For the vegan “meatballs”:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. To make a flax egg, stir flaxseed with water and let sit within the fridge for quarter-hour, or until thickened.
3. In a food processor, add chickpeas, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, onion powder, garlic salt and flax egg. Pulse to mix.
4. Mix 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and a pair of tablespoons vegan parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
5. Roll chickpea mixture into small balls (about 1 tablespoon mixture each) and roll within the breadcrumb/cheese to coat.
6. In two batches, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium high heat. Saute balls for 5-7 minutes, or until browned.
7. Transfer sautéed balls to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for quarter-hour.
8. Serve vegan meatballs on top of soup.

Also, I just desired to thanks guys from the underside of my heart for the prayers and good vibes and well wishes for my Dad. They helped! His surgery and recovery went well and his path reports are clear! Thanks for the support and love. xoxoAnd now for the super exciting news! I’m partnering with a bunch of fantastic bloggers this month to provide away a $700 gift card to Amazon! Take into consideration ALL THE THINGS you’ll be able to buy with $700! Here’s to hoping that Irish luck is in your side for this St. Pat’s Amazon giveaway! The giveaway runs through March fifteenth (11:30 PM) so that you’ve got about two weeks to enter. Good luck!
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