Keto Italian Wedding Soup

I use escarole in my minestrone and it works there because it simmers for a long time and breaks down. In this recipe, I prefer spinach because it wilts in 30 seconds and keeps a cleaner texture in the broth. If you want to use escarole, chop it fine and add it about 5 minutes before the end instead of 30 seconds. The stems take longer than spinach leaves. I have made it both ways and my family prefers the spinach version, but escarole gives you a more traditional Italian flavor.

I have made this both ways. For the Instant Pot, brown the meatballs using the saute function, add the broth and vegetables, and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes with a quick release. Add the lupini rice and spinach after releasing pressure and let them sit in the hot broth for 5 minutes. For the slow cooker, brown the meatballs on the stove first (you still need that crust), then add everything except the lupini rice and spinach. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Stir in the rice and spinach during the last 10 minutes. The stovetop version gives you better meatball texture, but the slow cooker is what I use when I want it ready at dinner without babysitting a pot.

I almost always serve this with bread for dipping because the broth is too good to leave in the bowl. Keto rolls or a slice of garlic bread work well. A simple side salad with an Italian vinaigrette rounds it out if you want a bigger meal. When I am meal prepping, I just eat the soup on its own since the meatballs and lupini rice make it filling enough. My usual serving is a big bowl with two rolls on the side.

I do this sometimes. It is called stracciatella, where you drizzle beaten egg into the simmering broth and stir gently so it forms thin ribbons. It adds protein and a silky texture. I beat one or two eggs with a tablespoon of grated parmesan, then pour it in a thin stream while stirring the broth in one direction. The trick is keeping the broth at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, or the egg breaks into tiny bits instead of ribbons. My kids think it looks cool, and it adds about 6g of protein per serving.

I have made this with ground chicken and turkey sausage and it works well. Replace the pork sausage with ground chicken or turkey sausage, and use all ground beef for the meatball mixture. For the pork panko, substitute 1/4 cup almond flour or add an extra 1/4 cup of grated parmesan as a binder. The meatballs will be slightly less crispy on the outside but they hold together in the broth. I prefer the parmesan swap over almond flour here because almond flour gets gummy in liquid.

Cauliflower rice is the closest texture match for the orzo shape. Hearts of palm rice works well too. I have also used shirataki rice (rinse it well first to remove the packaging smell), but I find it does not absorb flavor the way lupini does. You can also skip the pasta entirely. The soup is filling on its own with the meatballs and vegetables. Each substitution changes the carb count slightly, so recalculate if you are tracking closely.

I freeze batches of this regularly. Store the broth, meatballs, and vegetables together in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Keep the lupini rice separate because it absorbs liquid and turns soft if frozen in the soup. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat on the stove, and add fresh lupini rice. I also freeze extra uncooked meatballs on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Once frozen, I transfer them to a bag and drop them directly into simmering broth from frozen (add about 5 extra minutes of cook time).

The carbs come mainly from the vegetables. Onion, carrot, celery, and garlic contribute about 4 to 5g together. The lupini rice adds about 1g, and the remaining carbs come from the egg, parmesan, and seasonings in the meatballs. Spinach adds less than 1g. When I want to lower the count, I reduce the carrot and onion amounts, which drops it by about 1 to 2g per serving without losing much flavor.