Italian Wedding Soup is a traditional Italian soup made with Parmesan infused meatballs and heaps of fresh vegetables all simmered in a bold, rich, aromatic, comforting broth. Our freezer is currently full of elk meat, so today I am making Italian Wedding Soup with Venison Meatballs!
This soup can be made both keto and gluten-free with a few simple swaps! I've also included tips for storing leftover soup as well as how to make it an Instant Pot®.
Ingredients for Italian wedding soup
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Celerty
- Carrots
- Russet potato
- Zucchini
- Fresh garlic
- Chicken stock
- Diced tomatoes
- Chicken breast
- Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 recipe for Venison Meatballs
- Fresh parsley
Ingredients for Venison Meatballs
- Ground venison
- Parmesan cheese
- Nutmeg
- Eggs
- Bread crumbs OR rolled oats
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to make Italian wedding soup
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, celery, carrot, potato, zucchini, and garlic until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
- Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, chicken breast, and Italian seasonings. Bring it to a boil and cook for fifteen minutes until the potatoes are fully cooked.
- Lower the heat to medium/low and continue to simmer. Drop in the uncooked meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the chopped parsley . Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
How to make Venison Meatballs for Italian wedding soup
- Mix all ingredients well. Shape into very small meatballs, about ½ tablespoon. Place the meatballs on a cookie sheet until ready to use.
- These meatballs are also excellent browned and served with spaghetti or in minestrone soup.
Can Italian wedding soup with venison keto?
This soup is nearly keto, but not quite. Swap out the bread crumbs in the meatballs for crushed pork rinds or 1 cup of almond flour.
How to make gluten-free Italian wedding soup with venison
We eat mostly gluten-free at our house, so when I made this recipe I substituted rolled oats for the bread crumbs. The texture was still really light and meatball-ish, if that makes sense. Five stars.
How to make Italian wedding soup in an Instant Pot®
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Turn on the Instant Pot® (I have this one) and select sauté function. Pour in olive oil and heat. Sautéed the onion, celery, carrot, potato, zucchini, and garlic until the onion softens.
Add the chicken broth, chicken breast, and Italian seasonings. Drop in the uncooked meatballs.
Close and lock the lid. Close the valve and select the soup function on the Instant Pot®. Choose the soup function and allow the cycle to complete.
Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes. Add freshly chopped parsley and stir.
How to cook venison: tips from the hunter
While wild game is delicious, there are some distinct differences between farm raised meats like beef and venison like elk. Ground elk needs an extra binder to form a patty or meatball to help it maintain it's desired shape.
We experimented with using one egg like a traditional ground beef meatball, but it fell apart in the boiling soup. Two eggs plus a generous amount of quick oats did the trick!
One other thing that we tried was browning half of the meatballs before adding them to the soup. The dumpling-style meatballs that were dropped in uncooked had a softer texture that was more pleasing, but they just don't look as appetizing. Ultimately, we recommend following the recipe as written and not browning the meatballs first, even though they look prettier. It's about the experience, not the looks!
Can Italian wedding soup with venison meatballs be frozen?
Yes! If you have leftover Italian Wedding Soup with Venison Meatballs, it can absolutely be stored in the freezer.
TO FREEZE ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP WITH VENISON MEATBALLS:
- Cool: Allow soup to cool completely before freezing.
- Package: Transfer soup to a freezer safe container or mason jar.
- Freeze. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Defrost/Reheat. Place in refrigerator the night before to begin the thawing process. Microwave or heat leftover soup in a saucepan on the stovetop.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. For more delicious recipes from scratch and homesteading tips, follow me on instagram @NinnescahHomestead
📖 Recipe
Italian Wedding Soup with Venison Meatballs
Equipment
- large stock pot
- or see notes for Instant Pot instruction
Ingredients
Italian Wedding Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion minced
- 2 celery stalks minced
- 2 carrots peeled and minced
- 1 russet potato peeled and diced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic chopped
- 10 cups chicken stock
- 1 diced tomato small can
- 1 pound chicken breast diced or shredded
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 recipe for Venison Meatballs
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
Italian Wedding Soup Venison Meatballs
- 1 pound ground venison
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups bread crumbs or substitute rolled oats
Instructions
How to make Italian wedding soup
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, celery, carrot, potato, zucchini, and garlic until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
- Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, chicken breast, and Italian seasonings. Bring it to a boil and cook for fifteen minutes until the potatoes are fully cooked.
- Lower the heat to medium/low and continue to simmer. Drop in the uncooked meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the chopped parsley . Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
How to make Italian wedding soup venison meatballs
- Mix all ingredients well. Shape into very small meatballs, about ½ tablespoon. Place the meatballs on a cookie sheet until ready to use.
- These meatballs are also excellent browned and served with spaghetti or in minestrone soup.
- Enjoy this soup fresh or refrigerate for up to 3-5 days. For longer storage, see freezing instructions below.
Notes
How to freeze Italian Wedding Soup With Venison Meatballs:
- Cool: Allow soup to cool completely before freezing.
- Package: Transfer soup to a freezer safe container or mason jar.
- Freeze. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Defrost/Reheat. Place in refrigerator the night before to begin the thawing process. Microwave or heat leftover soup in a saucepan on the stovetop.
How to make Italian wedding soup in an Instant Pot®
- Turn on the Instant Pot and select sauté function. Pour in olive oil and heat. Sautéed the onion, celery, carrot, potato, zucchini, and garlic until the onion softens.
- Add the chicken broth, chicken breast, and Italian seasonings. Drop in the uncooked meatballs.
- Close and lock the lid. Close the valve and select the soup function on the Instant Pot®. Choose the soup function and allow the cycle to complete.
- Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes. Add freshly chopped parsley and stir.
More tasty wild recipes!
If you, or someone you love, is a hunter, I've got you covered! Check out my Venison Bierocks! I made them with elk, but they can be made with any ground game meat. I also recommend trying my Blackened Bass or Cast-Iron Skillet Lasagna.
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