Warm up your belly and soul with this comforting and cozy Turkey Meatball Minestrone Soup. Tender, savory mini meatballs bask in a tomato laced broth along with a bounty of flavorful vegetables and creamy white beans. Hearty and filling, but also light, it hits all the notes.
The star of this delicious soup are the pillowy little turkey meatballs. They might be tiny, but they are mighty in flavor. Parmesan gives them that crave worthy nutty, cheesy bite. A duo of fresh herbs keeps them vibrant, and finely grated zucchini give them their texture. The best part, they’re baked in the oven so you can already have your soup going while they develop their golden crust. And if you pop a few when they come out? No judgement.
Like most soups, this is one that tastes even better the next day. Make it for an easy weekend dinner and then enjoy it for quick lunches throughout the week. It also freezes beautifully!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy Process – Soup shouldn’t be complicated, and this turkey meatball soup is a perfect example. There’s no need to worry about frying the turkey meatballs. They are baked in the oven to golden, juicy perfection while the vegetables in the soup simmer to tenderness.
- Make Ahead – Soup is just one of those things that tastes even better the next day. Not only does this make great meal prep, but it also freezes well.
- Accessible Ingredients – There is nothing complicated about any of the ingredients in this recipe. From the ground turkey to the bounty of fresh colorful vegetables, you can easily find them at your local grocery store, or even hit up your farmer’s market.
Ingredients
- Ground Turkey – You can use either lean ground turkey breast, or ground turkey with dark meat. Because these meatballs have grated zucchini in them, they remain tender and juicy.
- Vegetables – Besides the usual mirepoix of onions, celery, and carrots, you will also need zucchini and kale. Both curly leaf kale or Tuscan kale work in this. You will also need both tomato paste and canned fired roasted diced tomatoes.
- Cannellini Beans
- Chicken Broth
- Egg
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Flavor Accents – Fresh lemon juice adds brightness to the soup itself, crushed red pepper gives a sassy kick, and a combination of parsley and basil bring fresh flavor to the meatballs and soup. You will also need plenty of freshly grated parmesan for the meatballs, and extra for topping your soup.
How to Make Turkey Meatball Minestrone Soup
- Make your meatballs. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently mix together the ingredients for the meatballs. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the meat mixture and roll each meatball. Place them on the baking sheet. Allow them to bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and cooked through. Set aside.
- Sauté your vegetables. Heat a pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with oil. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and a pinch of salt. Allow them to cook until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, and tomato paste and cook for 1 more minute.
- Bring to a simmer. Add the beans, fire roasted tomatoes, broth, bay leave, and basil sprig and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and allow the soup to cook until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the kale, zucchini, and meatballs. Once the vegetables are tender add in the kale, zucchini, and meatballs. Let them cook until the kale is wilted and the zucchini is tender crisp.
- Stir in lemon, taste and adjust.
Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of ground turkey you can also use either ground chicken or ground pork.
- Make this soup even more hearty by adding small pasta such as orzo or ditalini. If you plan on freezing it cook the pasta separately and add a portion to each bowl before ladling in the soup.
- Have fun with the vegetables. Fresh green beans, spinach instead of kale, and yellow squash would be delicious. You can even add a diced potato.
- Spice it up! Add additional crushed red pepper, or a diced jalapeno when sauteing your vegetables.
How to Store Turkey Meatball Minestrone Soup
- All the minestrone with turkey meatballs to cool to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and cover. It will last for up to five days in the refrigerator.
- To freeze the turkey meatball soup allow it to cool completely before transferring it to freezer safe zip top bags or containers. It will last for up to three months in the freezer. To serve, allow it to gently defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating it on the stove.
Topping Ideas for Turkey Meatball Soup
- Dices tomatoes
- Raw diced onions
- Basil
- Lemon wedges
- Shaved or grated parmesan or Pecorino Romano
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Crusty bread
- Green onions
Tips From the Beach
- For incredible depth of flavor, add a Parmigiano-Reggiano rind to your soup. You can keep the rinds in the freezer for uses such as this.
- Make a double batch of the meatballs! They freeze well and can be used not just in soups but any of your favorite pasta recipes.
- Soup is all about building layers of flavor, even a quick soup like this. Tomato paste adds a little sweetness, fresh herbs add brightness, and an acid like lemon or white wine give a little zing that cuts through the heaviness.
- We all loved that episode of Seinfeld that had everyone standing in line for soup. It’s a comfort food, and honestly, it’s a comfort year-round. But make it an event! Have fun toppings and sides so people can customize it and make it an event. Serve it with slices of crusty Italian bread, different cheeses, fresh toppings like tomatoes and basil.
For more minestrone recipes, make sure to check out Minestrone Soup with Sausage.
PrintTurkey Meatball Minestrone Soup
Warm up your belly and soul with this comforting and cozy Turkey Meatball Minestrone Soup. Tender, savory mini meatballs bask in a tomato laced broth along with a bounty of flavorful vegetables and creamy white beans. Hearty and filling, but also light, it hits all the notes.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 60
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Turkey Meatballs
- 1 lbs. ground turkey
- 1 cup zucchini finely grated
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 sweet onion minced
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated black pepper
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
- 1 large egg
Turkey Meatball Minestrone Soup
- 1 Tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion diced
- 2 cups carrots chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1/3 cup dry white wine, optional
- 15.5 oz Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 14.5 oz diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 8–10 cups chicken broth
- 2–3 bay leaves
- 1 bunch kale, ribs removed chopped
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
- kosher salt
- 1 sprig basil plus additional for serving
- juice of 1 lemon
- parmesan rind, optional
Instructions
Turkey Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add all of the ingredients for the meatballs to a large bowl. Gently mix them together until just combined.
- Use a teaspoon to portion out the meat mixture. Roll into a ball and place on the baking sheet. Proceed with the remaining meatball mix. You should have around 45 mini meatballs.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and allow the meatballs to cook for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Turkey Meatball Minestrone Soup
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with oil. Add the onions, celery, and carrots along with a pinch of kosher salt. Let them cook for 5-8 minutes until the onions are translucent, stirring often.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper. Cook for an additional 60 seconds.
- Pour in the wine if using and let come to a simmer.
- Add the broth, beans, bay leaves, parm rind if using, diced tomatoes, and basil sprig. Bring to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook for 45 minutes or until all of the vegetables are tender.
- Remove the parm rind and bay leaves. Stir in the kale, zucchini, and meatballs. Allow them to cook until the kale is wilted and zucchini tender-crisp, about ten minutes.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice. Taste, and add any additional salt if needed.
Notes
- You can use lean ground turkey breast, regular ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork for this recipe.
- The meatballs can be made a day or two in advance. Let them cool and then transfer them to an airtight container and keep them refrigerated until ready to add to the minestrone.
- Feel free to add pasta to this soup. If you plan on freezing it, cook the pasta separately.