Hearty Turkey Meatball Soup

Name: Hearty Turkey Meatball Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings.
Ingredients: 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten; 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs; 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese; 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided; 1 pound lean ground turkey; 3 medium carrots, sliced; 3 celery ribs, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 cup ditalini or other small pasta

Every Italian-American family I know seems to have its own version of meatball soup. This recipe is based on my family’s version. —Christie Ladd, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Ingredients

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
4 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
1 pound lean ground turkey
3 medium carrots, sliced
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup ditalini or other small pasta

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the egg whites, bread crumbs, cheese and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into 3/4-in. balls.
Place in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until no longer pink.
Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, saute carrots and celery in oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the broth, pepper and remaining Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in pasta; cook 10-12 minutes longer or until vegetables and pasta are tender. Add meatballs and heat through.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 258 calories, 10g fat (2g saturated fat), 60mg cholesterol, 783mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 2g fiber), 21g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.

Originally published as Turkey Meatball Soup in Healthy Cooking October/November 2009

Reviews

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Average Rating:

kgburgess

Feb 2, 2012

This was really good, hearty soup! I served it for lunch with homemade whole wheat dinner rolls. Delicious winter meal! I only had 2 cans of chicken broth so I substituted 1 can of vegetarian vegetable broth for the third can. Then I sprinkled in some powdered chicken bouillon to add back the chicken broth flavoring. It worked great! I also used Jennie-O 99% lean ground turkey. My 12 year old son really liked this soup!
rudylenak

Oct 17, 2011

love it
jmscoker

Nov 29, 2010

I've made this twice, with ground turkey and with leftover turkey, both were excellent. I doubled the pasta because we wanted a heartier dish. Even the kids ate it up.
kanidekisses

Nov 24, 2010

This is a great recipe. I added a can of diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings to my version and it was great. Very healthy and tasty!
aleduc

Feb 26, 2010

Even my 3 year old loves this soup. Super yummy! I make it with turkey sausage, just remove the casing.
TSTEYER

Jan 21, 2010

Very tasty. I omit the pasta (I think it gets too mushy when reheated), and add cabbage and more broth. I put leftovers in baggies and freeze to take to work.
suegirl

Jan 5, 2010

This was wonderful on a cold night! Easy to make and delicious. I added additional broth, I like a "brothier" soup, but other than that, wouldn't change a thing! Leftovers reheated well and tasted even better!
wiscook

Oct 18, 2009

very good, although once you chop everything it takes longer than 30 minutes to prep. Freezes well. I would like TOH to add this to recipes, I make soup on Sundays and freeze for during the week.