This easy Instant Pot Italian wedding soup is a hearty and comforting meal that comes together in a flash!

Learn how to make Italian wedding soup in the Instant Pot, for an easy yet hearty soup any day of the week.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase, this site may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

The first time I had Italian wedding soup was at one of my bridal showers.

I remember it was a cool day outside and the comforting bowl of soup felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket, especially with the company of the kind ladies gathered that day.

I had never had Italian wedding soup before, let alone make it myself. But after years of making various homemade soups, I decided it was time to make some Italian wedding soup in my Instant Pot.

It reminds me of the Italian version of Instant Pot albondigas soup.

You see, I love making Instant Pot soup recipes because they are fast, easy, and allow me to get a tasty dinner on the table without a lot of effort.

It’s why soups like Instant Pot zuppa toscana and Instant Pot potato soup will forever be in our mealtime rotation!

And it’s why I know you’re going to love this Instant Pot Italian wedding soup!

Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup with Frozen Meatballs

I make my Italian wedding soup using frozen homemade meatballs.

I follow the recipe for these homemade baked meatballs, because they are SO flavorful and delicious. I simply roll the meatballs out smaller, in bite-size shapes, bake them and freeze them until I need them.

If you aren’t up for making homemade meatballs (even though I promise it’s easy!), you can pick up a bag of frozen meatballs from the grocery store.

Some brands even make the bite-size meatballs, which is what I would recommend.

The flavor of the soup will come in part from the flavor in the meatballs, so be sure to use good meatballs!

In fact, this recipe made it on my list of the best Instant Pot frozen meatball recipes for dinner!

How to Make Italian Wedding Soup in the Pressure Cooker

It’s really easy to whip up a big pot of this homemade soup!

Basic aromatics like onions, carrots, and celery (do you know the difference between a rib of celery and a stalk of celery?), plus the Italian meatballs give it such depth of flavor.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• Olive oil
• Onion
• Carrots
• Celery
• Chicken broth
• Garlic powder
• Ditalini pasta
• Frozen bite-size meatballs
• Kale
• Salt & pepper

How to Make It:

(Full printable recipe is available below)

Saute aromatics. First, you’ll add some olive oil to the insert pot of the Instant Pot. Turn on the Saute function to heat up the pot.

Add in the onions, carrots, and celery, stirring as they cook. You’ll just cook them for a couple of minutes, so they begin to soften and become fragrant.

Add broth, pasta, meatballs, & seasonings. Next, you’ll add in some chicken broth, garlic powder, ditalini, and frozen meatballs.

Pressure cook. Cook at high pressure for 3 minutes. Once the pressure has released, allow a 5 minute natural release, followed by a quick release of remaining pressure.

Finish it off. Add the kale to the hot broth, allowing it to wilt slightly.

Add salt and pepper to taste, then ladle it into bowls and serve it up! I like to add a sprinkle of Parmesan to my bowl.

Notes and Adaptations:

• I have not tested this with meatballs that aren’t frozen. I’m not sure if they would hold their shape or not–they might start to break apart. The cook time of the frozen meatballs corresponds well with the cook time of the pasta, so I’ve only used frozen.
• I used ditalini pasta, but you could substitute macaroni or small shell pasta. You could also try acini de pepe pasta, but you would likely need to cut down the amount to 3/4 cup.
• I prefer using kale in soups, because it doesn’t get as “mushy” as spinach does. But if you prefer spinach, you can use that instead.
• This soup would pair perfectly with some homemade dinner rolls or Instant Pot French bread.

Continue to Content

Yield: 6-8 Servings

Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup

Print

This hearty yet simple Italian wedding soup is a flavorful and comforting recipe that cooks quickly in the Instant Pot!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 28 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 celery ribs, sliced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 cup ditalini pasta
• 1 batch of frozen homemade mini meatballs (or 26-oz bag frozen bite-size meatballs)
• 2 cups chopped kale
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Add olive oil to the insert pot of the Instant Pot. Press the Saute button to heat up the insert pot.
2. Add onions, carrots, and celery to the pot, stirring for a couple of minutes as they begin to soften slightly and become fragrant.
3. Turn off the Saute function. Add broth, garlic powder, ditalini, and frozen meatballs to the insert pot.
4. Set a cook time of 3 minutes at high pressure. When cook time is complete, allow a 5 minute natural release of pressure followed by a quick release of remaining pressure.
5. When the pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully open the lid. Stir in the kale and allow the hot broth to wilt it slightly.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Notes

I have not tested this with meatballs that aren't frozen. I'm not sure if they would hold their shape or not--they might start to break apart. The cook time of the frozen meatballs corresponds well with the cook time of the pasta, so I've only used frozen.

I used ditalini pasta, but you could substitute macaroni or small shell pasta. You could also try acini de pepe pasta, but you would likely need to cut down the amount to 3/4 cup.

I prefer using kale in soups, because it doesn't get as "mushy" as spinach does. But if you prefer spinach, you can use that instead.

This soup would pair perfectly with some homemade dinner rolls or Instant Pot French bread.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 132Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 1140mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

Want more delicious recipe ideas?

Check out even more mealtime inspiration on my Pinterest boards!

Stock Your Freezer!

Save Dinner One Day at a Time with Pressure Cooker to the Rescue, the Busy Mom's Instant Pot Freezer Meal Plan!

1. Stock your freezer with 10 family-friendly meals in about an hour!
2. No need to thaw before cooking in the Instant Pot--meals can cook from frozen!
3. Easy-to-use plan includes shopping lists, labels, recipes, and instructions!

RESCUE DINNER TIME WITH THE PLAN!

Pressure Cooker to the Rescue from Margin Making Mom

Powered by Convert Plus