This Turkey Meatball Soup is so yummy and comforting! It's so hearty with loads of vegetables, Italian flavours and the best turkey meatballs.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – use any neutral cooking oil here such as canola or avocado oil.
- Yellow onion – white onion or shallots would also be good.
- Celery – if you don’t have any celery, add in some extra carrots instead.
- Carrots – parsnips would be a good substitute for carrots.
- Garlic – I find that freshly minced garlic has the best flavour, but jarred minced garlic will work if it’s all you have on hand.
- Italian seasoning – make your own using a blend of dried oregano, basil, thyme, sage and rosemary.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Canned finely diced tomatoes – use fire-roasted tomatoes if you want your soup to have an extra kick.
- Chicken broth – vegetable broth would be the best substitute here.
- Ditalini – swap out for another small pasta shape like tubetti or macaroni.
- Parmesan rind – you can leave this out if you don’t have any on hand.
- Parmesan cheese – garnish with some fresh romano instead or leave this off altogether.
- Fresh basil – leave this garnish off if you don’t have any on hand.
Meatballs
- Ground turkey – extra-lean ground beef or ground pork can also be used to make these meatballs.
- Yellow onion – see substitution notes above.
- Garlic – see substitution notes above.
- Egg – buttermilk would also be a good binder for your meatballs.
- Parmesan cheese – nutritional yeast is a great dairy-free substitute option.
- Breadcrumbs – panko would be a good choice too.
- Italian seasoning – see substitution notes above.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
How to make meatball soup
Step 1: Make the meatballs.
Mix all the ingredients under the meatballs heading together in a large bowl.
Step 2: Bake the meatballs.
Using wet hands, roll the meat mixture into balls and add to baking sheet, then bake them in the oven.
Step 3: Sauté the veggies.
Sauté the onions, celery and carrots in a large pot until softened.
Step 4: Add the seasonings.
Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and sauté until fragrant.
Step 5: Bring to a boil.
Add in diced tomatoes, chicken broth, pasta and parmesan rind. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer the soup.
Step 6: Stir in the meatballs.
Add the meatballs in within the last 5 minutes of cooking time, then remove the parmesan rind and ladle into bowls. Serve with parmesan cheese and basil overtop and enjoy!
Making turkey meatballs for soup
One of the best parts of this turkey meatball soup recipe is the homemade meatballs! They’re super easy to make and are a lot healthier than store-bought meatballs. I used ground turkey for a leaner option but you can easily make them with another type of ground meat like beef, chicken or pork.
Here’s how to make homemade turkey meatballs for soup:
- Mix together the meatball ingredients.
- Roll the mixture into balls using wet hands.
- Add the meatballs to a baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- And that’s all there is to it! Make sure you don’t leave out the egg and breadcrumbs, as they help bind the meatballs.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, you’ll need to bake the meatballs for 15 minutes before adding them to the soup. You’ll only add the meatballs to the soup in the last 5 minutes of cooking time so they don’t overcook or get all mushy.
The key to making sure your meatballs don’t fall apart for this turkey meatball soup is pre-cooking the meatballs and forming them properly. Make sure not to leave out the egg and breadcrumbs, as they act as a binder, and don’t overhandle the meat mixture. If you overhandle the meat mixture, you risk being left with meatballs that will fall apart, and no one wants that.
You can definitely use frozen meatballs for this recipe. You can use store-bought frozen meatballs, or you can make homemade turkey meatballs and freeze them for up to 3 months to use in soup later. Cook or reheat the frozen meatballs, then add them to your soup during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
You’ll need to add egg to your meatballs to ensure they bind together and don’t fall apart in your turkey meatball soup. If you’re allergic to egg or just don’t have any on hand, buttermilk or plain yogurt can also be used as a binder.
Yes! This turkey meatball soup can be frozen in glass bowls for up to 3 months.
Storing and reheating
This comforting and hearty turkey meatballs soup is great for meal prep and will last in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend storing individual serving sizes in glass bowls, so when you’re ready to eat, all you have to do is pull one out of the fridge. You can reheat the soup in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in a pot on the stovetop.
Freezing this recipe
You can freeze this turkey meatball soup, but the pasta might not have the same texture after defrosting. Freeze the soup in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal.
You can also make the turkey meatballs ahead of time and freeze them for later. After cooking the meatballs, flash freeze them on a tray then transfer them to Ziploc bags or glass bowls and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them defrost in the fridge overnight then add them to your soup or another recipe of your choice.
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More comforting soup recipes
Meal Prep Tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on packing this soup for lunch.
- I get all my grass-fed beef and free-range chicken from Butcher Box.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your meatballs are cooked through.
- **Get my full list of tools here**
Turkey Meatball Soup {Healthy & Easy}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 carrot peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 (398)mL can finely diced tomatoes use fire roasted for an extra kick
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup ditalini or any other small pasta shape
- 1 parmesan rind optional, but adds amazing flavour
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese to serve
- 2 tbsp fresh basil chopped, to serve
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 small yellow onion grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the meatballs by mixing all ingredients under the meatballs heading together in a large bowl. Using wet hands, roll meat mixture into balls and add to baking sheet. Bake meatballs for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and carrot, sauteeing for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, sauteeing another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add in diced tomatoes, chicken broth, pasta and parmesan rind, bringing to a boil and then simmering for 20 minutes. Add meatballs in within the last 5 minutes of cooking time, then remove parmesan rind and ladle into bowls.
- Serve with parmesan cheese and basil overtop and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Laurie Ann says
Do you have a substitution suggestion for Italian seasoning? I was thinking perhaps oregano, basil, rosemary, & thyme. Or do you think rosemary would be too powerful in this?
Also, for egg substitution with the meatballs… chia gel is a great egg replacer, although I will be using an egg this time.
Taylor Stinson says
Equal parts oregano, basil, rosemary, & thyme all work perfectly – rosemary is actually in Italian seasoning!
Laurie Ann says
Thanks!!! This will be dinner tonight! I will try and remember to take a photo and put it on Instagram @lauriethewriter. If I do, I’ll tag you!