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Home » Course » Dinner » Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup

Published: Dec 21, 2019 · Modified: Sep 28, 2022 by Veronika's Kitchen * This post may contain affiliate links

Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup

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The best recipe for Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup, made with turkey meatballs, acini de pepe pasta, and spinach! This is a homemade healthy and comforting dinner recipe that is easy to make in a pressure cooker!

Italian Wedding Soup turkey with meatballs, acini de pepe pasta, and spinach in a white bowl.

This is my favorite Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup, made with delicious turkey meatballs, acini de pepe pasta, and spinach that tastes just like classic grandma’s homemade soup. The only difference is, because we make it in a pressure cooker, it takes only 30-40 minutes from start to finish.

Among all different Pressure Cooker Soups I’ve posted this year (Instant Pot Minestrone Soup, Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup, Instant Pot Taco Soup, Instant Pot Chicken Soup), this dish is one of my most favorites. Also, you can check my post for Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners for more dinner ideas.

Table of contents

  • How to make this recipe
  • Tips for best results
  • Additions and Substitutions
  • How to store and reheat
  • Frequently Asked Questions
Italian Wedding Soup turkey with meatballs, acini de pepe pasta, and spinach in a white bowl.

How to make this recipe

In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1 lb ground turkey, an egg, ½ cup breadcrumbs, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 minced garlic cloves, ⅓ cup chopped parsley, salt, and pepper.

Process photos of how to make Italian Soup in Instant Pot.

Using a 1 tsp cookie scoop or a regular spoon, make 1-inch balls. You will have about 30 meatballs.

Process photos of how to make Italian Soup in Instant Pot.

Set the Instant Pot to “SAUTE” function.

Add 2 tbsp olive oil. When the oil is hot add half of the meatballs in a single layer.

NOTE: I like to brown the meatballs in 2-3 batches, so they get perfect brown color outside. We don’t need to cook them through, just get the color.

Brown them for about 2-3 minutes, then scoop them out into a separate plate and set aside. Continue the same with the rest of the meatballs.

Process photos of browning meetballs in a pressure cooker.

After the meatballs are done and out of the pot, add a chopped onion and celery to the pot and cook for about 8-10 minutes, until they are softened and translucent.

Process photos of adding chopped onion and celery to the pressure cooker.

Press the “CANCEL” button.

When done, add the browned meatballs and chopped carrots.

Pour in 8 cups chicken stock and stir everything together.

Close the lid and make sure that the venting knob is set to “SEAL”.

Process photos of adding ingredients to a pressure cooker.

Cook the soup on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. When done, do a quick pressure release.

Open the lid and stir the soup.

Press “SAUTE” button again.

Bring the liquid to boil and add ½ cup acini de pepe pasta. Let it cook for about 8 minutes.

Process photos of adding accini de pepe to a pressure cooker.

When the pasta is almost done, add 4 cups spinach and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Process photos of adding spinach to soup in a pressure cooker.

Tips for best results

Meatballs. These delicious turkey meatballs are the best part of this soup! Please don’t skip the browning part as it brings the most flavor to this dish!

Serving. I love serving this dish topped with some extra grated Parmesan and freshly baked Easy Dinner Rolls or Potato Rolls Recipe.

Additions and Substitutions

Meatballs. I prefer to make the meatballs with ground turkey. Although, you can easily substitute it with chicken, beef, or pork.

Pasta. Classic Italian Wedding Soup is made with acini de pepe pasta. If for some reason you cannot find it in the store, you can use orzo or small shell pasta.

Spinach. Sometimes I like to substitute spinach with kale or Swiss chard.

Italian Wedding Soup turkey with meatballs, acini de pepe pasta, and spinach in a white bowl.

How to store and reheat

Storage. After the soup is cooled off, transfer is to an air-tight container. It will last fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days. I think it tastes even better on the 2nd-3rd day, as the flavors blend together.

Reheat. You can reheat it in a pot or a sauce pan over medium heat.

Freezing. This recipe is great for meal prepping and freezing. You can transfer it to an air-tight freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, just leave it in the fridge overnight, then reheat as mentioned above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the meatballs ahead of time?

Yes! I love making and precooking a big batch of small turkey meatballs, freeze, and use them later in the soup. It significantly reduces the cooking time and makes this recipe perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.

Can I use frozen store-bought meatballs?

I always like to make my own homemade meatballs, as they taste so much better! Although, you can use store-bought ones too.

Do I need to brown the meatballs?

Yes. By browning them, it will get an additional flavor to make the soup extra tasty.

Why is it called “Italian Wedding Soup”?

It comes from Italian phrase “minestra maritata” or “married soup”, which means that cooking the greens and the meat together makes a good marriage.

Can I make it on stove top?

Yes! A pressure cooker cuts the cooking time in half, but you can easily make in on stove top. All the steps will be the same, the only difference is instead of using a manual pressure cooking option, just simmer the soup over low/medium heat for about 20-30 minutes.

Italian Wedding Soup turkey with meatballs, acini de pepe pasta, and spinach in a white bowl.

MORE SOUP RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

  • Borscht Soup with Beef
  • Instant Pot Chicken Soup
  • Instant Pot Barley Soup
  • Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
  • Pasta e Fagioli Soup
  • Chili Soup

MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

  • Instant Pot Turkey Chili
  • Instant Pot Pot Roast
  • Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs
  • Instant Pot Chicken Wings
  • Instant Pot Boneless Short Ribs
  • Instant Pot Pulled Pork
  • Instant Pot Pulled Chicken
  • Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Pilaf
  • Instant Pot Brown Rice Pilaf
  • Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
  • Instant Pot Lamb Shanks
  • Instant Pot Bolognese
Italian Wedding Soup turkey with meatballs, acini de pepe pasta, and spinach in a white bowl.
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup

The best recipe for Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup, made with turkey meatballs, acini de pepe pasta, and spinach! This is a homemade healthy and comforting dinner recipe that is easy to make in a pressure cooker!
Prep Time40 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 291kcal
Author: Veronika’s Kitchen

Ingredients

Ingredients for Meatballs:

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs I prefer seasoned
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ⅓ cup parsley finely chopped
  • Salt pepper to taste

Ingredients for Soup:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 stalk celery chopped
  • 2 medium carrots chopped
  • 8 cups chicken stock I prefer to use Homemade Chicken Stock
  • ½ cup acini de pepe pasta
  • 4 cups spinach

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, mix together ground turkey, an egg, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper.
  • Using a 1 teaspoon cookie scoop, make 1-inch balls. You will have about 30 meatballs.
  • Set the Instant Pot to “SAUTE” function.
  • Add some olive oil. When the oil is hot add half of the meatballs in a single layer.
  • NOTE: I like to brown the meatballs in 2-3 batches, so they get perfect brown color outside.
  • Brown them for about 2-3 minutes, then scoop them out into a separate plate and set aside. Continue the same with the rest of the meatballs.
  • After the meatballs are done, add the chopped onions and celery to the pot and cook for about 8-10 minutes, until they are softened and translucent.
  • Press the “CANCEL” button.
  • When done, add the browned meatballs and chopped carrots.
  • Pour in chicken broth and stir everything together.
  •  Close the lid and make sure that the venting knob is set to “SEAL”.
  • Cook the soup on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. When done, do a quick pressure release.
  • Open the lid and stir the soup.
  • Press “SAUTE” button again.
  • Bring the liquid to boil and add acini de pepe pasta. Let it cook for about 8 minutes.
  • When the pasta is almost done, add spinach and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Video

Notes

NOTE 1: When browning the meatballs, do it in 2-3 batches. Place them on the bottom of the pot in a single payer and sear for a few minutes on each side. You don’t have to cook them through, as we will cook them later.
NOTE 2: When the soup is almost done and the pasta is cooking, taste the broth. If you use LOW SODIUM chicken broth, you might need to add more salt. If you use a regular (high sodium) broth, depending on the brand, it might be a bit too salty. Add 1-2 cups of water to even it out.
How to Store. After the soup is cooled off, transfer it to an air-tight container. It will last fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days. I think it tastes even better on the 2nd-3rd day, as all the flavors blend together.
How to Freeze. This recipe is great for meal prepping and freezing. You can transfer it to an air-tight container or a freezer-friendly bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, just leave it overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 1428mg | Potassium: 731mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5677IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review below. Or snap a photo and share it on Instagram; be sure to tag me @veronikaskitchen.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Aileen says

    February 22, 2022 at 5:30 pm

    5 stars
    My husband and I absolutely love this soup along with my 3 year old Granddaughter. I wasn’t sure if we would like the turkey,but we do actually like it better!
    The ease of making it also helps with living this recipe even more.
    Today is my 4th time making it.

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      March 01, 2022 at 11:48 am

      Thank you so much, Aileen! I’m so happy that your whole family loved the recipe 😉

      Reply
  2. Wendy says

    April 01, 2021 at 11:04 pm

    I’ve made this a few times. It was my maiden instapot voyage, and it’s been great every time .

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      March 01, 2022 at 11:49 am

      Thank you so much, Wendy! Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  3. Maureen says

    March 16, 2021 at 1:09 am

    5 stars
    This is such a delicious soup! I make this soup all of the time, and I add extra veggies. I also add different types of pasta. I found that the prep time is far more than stated in the recipe. I usually make the meatballs the day before, as they take at least one hour from start to finish, with frying them , and then the veggies and soup prep takes another another hour. This is so worth the prep, as the soup is delicious! I serve this soup with a crusty home made sour dough bread. Enjoy!

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      March 24, 2021 at 11:20 am

      Thank you, Maureen! I will adjust the prep time 😉

      Reply
  4. Bunita Marable says

    February 26, 2020 at 7:46 pm

    5 stars
    I tried this tonight and my husband loved it so much. I doubled the recipe for lunches and I switched up the pasta and used small pasta stars. It was perfect.

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      February 26, 2020 at 8:32 pm

      Thank you, Bunita! I’m so happy to hear that you and your husband loved this recipe! And yes, it’s perfect for lunches!

      Reply
    • Staci says

      January 05, 2021 at 1:42 pm

      5 stars
      My goodness I was so excited to eat this for my lunch today!!! It was perfect! Thank you for sharing ❤️

      Reply
      • Veronika's Kitchen says

        January 07, 2021 at 9:32 am

        Thank you, Staci! I’m so happy you liked it!

        Reply
  5. Helen says

    January 21, 2020 at 9:28 pm

    yum! I just made my first batch, cheated by using frozen turkey meatballs cut into 1/8ths but will definitely make homemade when I have more time. So much fresher tasting than canned or jarred soups.

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      January 23, 2020 at 7:54 pm

      Thank you, Helen! No shame in using frozen meatballs, I do it too sometimes!) So happy you liked this recipe!

      Reply
  6. Dawn says

    January 04, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    I just made this (it is still cooling in the pot!) I had to have a little taste test and it is terrific! I was concerned about the turkey but the meatballs are great. The flavor of this soup is very, very good. This is a keeper for sure!

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      January 04, 2020 at 8:13 pm

      Thank you, Dawn! I’m glad you enjoyed this soup! It’s one of my favorites too!)

      Reply
  7. Greg Barbour says

    January 02, 2020 at 10:42 pm

    Meatballs are entirely too large for classic wedding soup from Pittsburgh and never use turkey….c’mon man! Trying to ruin a memory?

    Reply
  8. Jo says

    December 30, 2019 at 3:49 am

    All I need now is a big bowl of this delicious soup! It looks so warm, hearty and comforting! I love cookin in my instant pot and can’t wait to try this soup soon.

    Reply
  9. SHANIKA says

    December 30, 2019 at 12:27 am

    This Wedding Soup looks absolutely scrumptious! I love how much flavor is in every spoonful and the addition of meatballs is amazing! I need to try this!

    Reply
  10. GUNJAN C Dudani says

    December 29, 2019 at 11:39 am

    I love Italian wedding soup. Its quit regular in my house during this season. I love your recipe and would love to try it.

    Reply
  11. Kathryn says

    December 29, 2019 at 11:31 am

    I’m such a fan of easy soup recipes! They are so great for quick weekday lunches and light dinners at this time of year!

    Reply
  12. Veena Azmanov says

    December 27, 2019 at 10:30 am

    This is definitely super delicious and the combinations awesome. This soup is totally a comfort meal. I love the Instant Pot option too.

    Reply
  13. Paula Montenegro says

    December 26, 2019 at 5:59 am

    This recipe is amazing! I’m making a large batch and freezing it! Super flavorful and easy to make in our beloved instant pot.

    Reply
  14. Marisa F. Stewart says

    December 25, 2019 at 9:30 am

    What a lovely soup for this time of year. I’ve never made my recipe with turkey meatballs but I’m going to try it out next time. It would certainly make a lighter soup. I don’t have an Instant Pot, but my daughter does, I’ll certainly share this recipe with her.

    Reply
  15. Chef Dennis says

    December 24, 2019 at 1:37 am

    This Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup looks really scrumptious. I am so loving those turkey meatballs, acini de pepe pasta, and spinach. Can’t wait to have this.

    Reply
  16. Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says

    December 23, 2019 at 8:08 pm

    I literally just made 20 quarts of Italian Wedding soup as my family was sick and my Italian in-laws wanted some. Great minds think alike! I’m loving that you made yours in the Instant Pot! Definitely a true time saver!

    Reply
  17. Ben says

    December 23, 2019 at 11:37 am

    MmmMMM! That looks delicious. I love how easy it is to make. I’m not a big cooker, so anything involving an Instant Pot is great for me.

    Reply

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