This Paleo Italian Wedding Soup is the perfect cozy comfort food! It’s easy to make, packed with the tastiest Italian sausage meatballs and plenty of veggies. It’s grain free, Whole30 friendly and keto.
What’s better than a cozy soup with the best little savory meatballs?
Italian wedding soup is a big favorite for me and I decided to make a paleo version that doesn’t sacrifice any flavor.
I also made the meatballs a little larger than some recipes call for to save on time.
Altogether, this soup comes together in about 45 minutes total and it’s completely worth every minute for how delicious it is! Let’s get into the recipe details.
What You Need to Make Italian Wedding Soup
I used many traditional ingredients for this soup but also made some swaps. Here’s what you’ll need to prepare this Italian wedding soup.
Meatballs:
- egg
- Italian sausage
- Italian seasoning
- garlic and onion powder
- almond flour
- salt and pepper
Soup:
- olive oil
- fresh onions and garlic
- carrots
- celery
- Italian seasoning blend
- crushed red pepper flakes
- chicken stock or broth
- fresh lemon juice
- kale or other dark leafy greens like spinach or Swiss chard
- eggs
- salt and pepper
How to Make this Paleo Italian Wedding Soup
Combine the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl and form into 1” balls, or slightly smaller if you prefer.
In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the meatballs to the pot. Cook about 8 minutes, turning several times, until cooked through.
Remove the meatballs and set aside on a plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.
Add the onions, garlic, celery and carrots to the pot and sauté for 5-8 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add in the spices plus sea salt and black pepper, and stir to combine flavors.
Pour in the chicken stock and lemon juice to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked meatballs in the soup, then the kale. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then remove from heat.
Whisk the egg, then slowly drizzle it in a circular motion, over the soup while whisking with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Can I Add Parmesan Cheese to this Recipe?
If you can have dairy, you can add about 1/4 cup of parmesan to the meatball mixture to add flavor.
You can also add parmesan cheese to the whisked egg that you’ll add to the soup at the end, as is in traditional Italian wedding soup recipes.
Other Recipe Swaps for Italian Wedding Soup
To make the recipe lower in carbs, you can add in just one carrot, or eliminate the carrots entirely in favor of another stalk of celery or even chopped mushrooms.
You can also leave out the carrots and add in more kale at the end to reduce the carb count.
If you can’t find paleo friendly Italian sausage, you can use ground pork or beef and increase the seasonings for the meatballs to make up the flavor.
However, I absolutely love this recipe with sausage! Many grocery stores make their own sausage without tons of additives, so check there first.
If they don’t carry it, check out U.S. Wellness Meats or Butcher Box to stock up on paleo friendly sausage.
I hope you’re ready for a new favorite soup, that’s both easy to make and healthy along with soooo tasty! And comforting of course, too.
Grab your dutch oven and ingredients because it’s time for soup – let’s go!
Italian Wedding Soup {Paleo, Keto, Whole30}
Italian Wedding Soup {Paleo, Keto, Whole30}
Ingredients
Meatballs*:
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage removed from casings
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 tablespoons almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 8 cups chicken stock or broth
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4-5 cups kale or other dark leafy greens like spinach or Swiss chard, roughly chopped
- 1 egg whisked + pinch of salt and pepper**
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Combine the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl and form into 1” balls, or slightly smaller if you prefer.
-
In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the meatballs to the pot. Cook about 8 minutes, turning several times, until cooked through.
-
Remove the meatballs and set aside on a plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.
-
With the heat on medium, add the onions, garlic, celery and carrots to the pot and sauté for 5-8 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add in the spices plus sea salt and black pepper, and stir to combine flavors.
-
Add the chicken stock and lemon juice to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked meatballs in the soup, then the kale. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then remove from heat.
-
Whisk the egg, then slowly drizzle it in a circular motion, over the soup while whisking with a fork. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*If you can have dairy, add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese to this mixture
**If you can have dairy, whisk the egg with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Nutrition
Want More Paleo Soup Recipes? Try One of These!
Stuffed Pepper Soup in the Instant Pot
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Made this for dinner tonight. Delicious!!
This has been my favorite soup since I was a child. Brings back memories.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS!
I made this tonight and all I can say is WOW!! Your zuppa toscana is already a favorite in our family, but this one is now tied for our #1 spot. The broth is so flavorful. It was simple, healthy, and so freaking good, I want to lick my bowl! Hubby said 10/10!! Keep those recipes coming, you’re making me look good when I serve them!!
Hi! Do you have a brand of sausage that you recommend?
Delicious! I made it with chicken meatballs with chorizo seasoning, olive oil spray, egg whites and spinach. Perfect for me! Thank you.
Hi! This looks great. Wondering what the purpose of step 6 is (drizzling egg into broth). Is this necessary? thank you!
This is delicious. I think the little bit of lemon juice really makes it. I used homemade chicken stock of course, which is always good to have on hand.
Loved this recipe as is, kids and husband all loved!! I made a second time and added white beans because my daughter and I love them. Great either way. Thank you so much for all of your delicious recipes!
What is the trick to the egg at the end? The soup is delicious – but I did not succeed with the egg mixing it. It’s more like egg drop soup haha.
This is really delicious and tastes so much like the Italian wedding soup I had growing up! Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!