Going off nothing but the name, I always imagined Italian wedding soup to be a first course served at Italian weddings. When I took the time to research my assumption, I quickly learned this isn?t the case at all. Italian wedding soup has nothing to do with weddings. In Italian, the soup made with pasta or rice, meat, and vegetables is called minestra maritata, which translates to ?married soup.? It is called this because of the flavorful matrimony that occurs as the soup ingredients are simmered and blended together.

Italian wedding soup, which originated in the southern Italian region of Campania, was traditionally made with leftover meat, broth, and whatever green vegetables were available - chicory, cabbage, escarole, chard, spinach, and endive were common. The American version is much lighter, using smaller meatballs and fewer vegetables. My Vegan Italian Wedding Soup is inspired by this Italian dish and is a welcome comfort during these chilly winter months. 
This Vegan Italian Wedding Soup features mini vegan meatballs made from a mixture of oats, cauliflower, lentils, and Italian seasonings. Tip: make a batch of mini vegan meatballs as part of your weekly meal prep and store them in the freezer. This soup instantly becomes an easy weekday lunch or dinner!

Just reheat the mini vegan meatballs in a warm oven or in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop. They?re slightly crisp on the outside and chewy and flavorful inside. So delicious!

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