Description
Turkey Meatball Soup with pasta and vegetables is super easy to make and is healthy. Kids love anything with meatballs, so this soup should be a crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
For Meatballs:
1 pound ground turkey (extra lean)
1 small onion
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil for frying
For Soup:
2 large carrots, chopped
2 large celery stalks, chopped
2 cups potatoes, cubed (about 11 ounces)
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth (low sodium)
2 teaspoons oil for frying
2 cups short pasta like shells or macaroni, uncooked (6 ounces)
3 bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup fresh parsley, dill, or green onions, finely chopped
Instructions
1. In a food processor or blender, puree onion, egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Alternatively, grate the onion and mix with other meatball ingredients.
2. Transfer to a medium bowl with ground turkey and mix well using your hands.
3. Preheat a Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat and swirl 1 tablespoon of oil to coat.
4. Using a small scoop or tablespoon, form golf-sized meatballs and add in a single layer, leaving space between each. Fry for about 1 minute, then flip and fry another minute until browned. Set aside. Repeat with remaining meat, adding oil as needed.
5. Add 2 teaspoons oil to the pot and sauté carrots and celery for 3 minutes.
6. Add broth, cover, and bring to a boil.
7. Add potatoes, meatballs, pasta, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring back to a boil, cover, reduce heat to very low, and simmer for 12 minutes.
8. Turn off heat and let soup sit covered for 10 minutes to thicken and develop flavor.
9. Stir in chopped fresh herbs and serve hot.
Notes
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To freeze, cook pasta separately and add when reheating to avoid mushy texture.
You can substitute ground turkey with ground chicken, beef, or pork.
Brown rice pasta, regular pasta, or broken spaghetti all work well.
Soup naturally thickens as it sits. Add more broth to thin if needed.
Skip browning the meatballs for a quicker version.
You can replace pasta with about 3 cups of leftover cooked grains like rice or quinoa.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup and Stew
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Ukrainian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 324
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 469mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 26g
- Cholesterol: 69mg