Pressure-Cooker Italian Wedding Soup: Quick, Easy, Delicious!

Italian Wedding Soup is a delicious and hearty dish that can be easily prepared in a pressure cooker. This soup typically includes meatballs, pasta, vegetables, and a flavourful broth. By using a pressure cooker, you can significantly reduce the cooking time without compromising on taste. In fact, some recipes claim that it can be made in just 30 minutes!

The process usually involves browning the meatballs, sautéing vegetables like onions, carrots, and celery, and then combining everything in the pressure cooker with chicken broth and pasta. The soup is then cooked under pressure for a few minutes, resulting in a tasty and comforting meal.

So, if you're looking for a quick and easy way to make Italian Wedding Soup, a pressure cooker is definitely the way to go!

Making the meatballs

The first step in making Italian wedding soup in a pressure cooker is preparing the meatballs. For this recipe, you will need a combination of ground meats, such as Italian sausage, ground beef, and/or ground pork. If you're using sausage, remove the casing and cut the sausage into small pieces or squeeze the meat out of the casing.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat(s) with other ingredients such as grated Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. You can also add an egg to help bind the mixture. Mix the ingredients together by hand, squishing and combining until the mixture forms one large meatball.

Once the mixture is well combined, start forming the meatballs. Pinch off a small amount of meat and roll it between your palms to form a meatball between the size of a pinball and a ping-pong ball. Continue this process until you have used up all the meat mixture. You should end up with around 30-45 meatballs, depending on the size you make them.

If you're short on time, you can use frozen store-bought meatballs or make a batch of meatballs ahead of time and freeze them for later use. However, browning the meatballs before adding them to the soup adds a lot of flavour, so it's a step you might not want to skip!

Browning the meatballs

First, combine the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Don't overwork the meat. Then, roll the mixture into small meatballs, about 3/4-inch in size. You should have around 20-40 meatballs, depending on the size.

Next, heat some olive oil in your pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in batches and brown them for about 2-3 minutes on each side. You don't need to cook them through, just get a nice brown colour on the outside. Remove the meatballs from the pot and set them aside.

After browning all the meatballs, add a little more olive oil to the pot if needed. Then, add your chopped onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté these vegetables for around 5-10 minutes, until they are softened and translucent.

Once the vegetables are softened, add the garlic and any other seasonings you wish to include. Sauté for another minute or so.

Now it's time to add the liquid. Pour in your chicken broth and give everything a good stir. Close the lid of your pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for around 5 minutes.

When the pressure cooking is complete, do a quick pressure release. Open the lid and add the pasta and spinach. Replace the lid and cook on high pressure for another 3-8 minutes, depending on the type of pasta you are using.

Once the pasta is cooked, open the lid and give the soup a stir. Your Italian wedding soup is now ready to be served!

Sautéing the vegetables

First, make sure your pressure cooker is turned on and set to the sauté function. For an Instant Pot, you can also select the "SAUTE" function. This will allow you to cook the vegetables without pressure cooking them.

Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the pot. You want to use enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot generously. Heat the oil until it is hot and shimmering, but be careful not to let it smoke.

Once the oil is hot, it's time to add your vegetables. For Italian wedding soup, you'll typically want to use a combination of onions, carrots, and celery. You can also add other vegetables like shallots or garlic for additional flavor. Chop your vegetables into small, uniform pieces to ensure even cooking.

Carefully add the vegetables to the hot oil, stirring them to coat. Sauté the vegetables for around 4-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and translucent. You may need to adjust the heat to medium if they are browning too quickly. If the pot becomes too dry during cooking, you can add a splash of olive oil or some water to prevent sticking.

At this point, you can also add some seasonings to the vegetables. This could include dried herbs like parsley, basil, oregano, or Italian seasoning. You can also add salt and pepper to taste, but be mindful that you will also be adding broth and meatballs, which will contribute additional saltiness to the soup.

Once the vegetables are softened and seasoned, you can proceed with the next steps of your soup recipe, such as adding the broth, meatballs, and pasta. Remember to deglaze the pot by stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom before adding the liquid.

By following these steps, you'll be able to properly sauté the vegetables for your Italian wedding soup, creating a delicious foundation of flavors for the rest of the recipe.

Building the broth

Firstly, you'll want to gather your ingredients. For the broth, you'll need chicken broth or stock, as well as a selection of vegetables. The exact vegetables you use can vary depending on your preference, but common choices include onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. You'll also need some oil for cooking, such as olive oil.

Once you have your ingredients, it's time to start cooking. Set your pressure cooker to the sauté function and add a couple of tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, add your vegetables. The exact amount of each vegetable can vary depending on your taste, but a good rule of thumb is to use one medium onion, two to three carrots, and one to two celery ribs. You can also add some garlic at this stage for extra flavour. Cook the vegetables until they are softened, which should take around 4-10 minutes.

Next, it's time to season your broth. Add some dried herbs such as parsley, basil, oregano, and Italian seasoning if you have it. Give the vegetables a stir to ensure they are well-coated in the herbs.

Now it's time to add the liquid. Pour in your chicken broth or stock—you'll need around 6-8 cups. Give everything a good stir to combine, and then close the lid of your pressure cooker and set it to high pressure for around 3-10 minutes.

Once the cooking time is up, carefully release the pressure according to your pressure cooker's instructions. Open the lid and give the broth a stir. At this stage, you can also add in any leftover cooked meatballs to warm through.

Your broth is now ready to be used as a base for your Italian wedding soup! Remember to taste and adjust the seasoning as needed—you may want to add some salt and pepper to enhance the flavours. Enjoy!

Cooking the pasta

The pasta should be cooked separately from the soup to ensure it doesn't absorb too much broth. This is especially important if you plan on storing leftovers.

If you are making the soup on the stove top, boil the pasta separately until al dente. Drain the pasta once it is cooked through and add it to the serving bowls.

If you are making the soup in a Crock Pot, boil the pasta separately and add it directly to the serving bowls. Alternatively, you can add the pasta to the Crock Pot of soup and cook on low for 30 minutes.

If you are making the soup in an Instant Pot, boil the pasta separately and add it directly to the serving bowls. Alternatively, you can add the pasta to the pot of soup, press the sauté button, and cook for 9 minutes.

Small pasta varieties such as Acini Di Pepe, Ditalini, and Orzo work well in Italian wedding soup.

Frequently asked questions