Italian Wedding Soup
with turkey meatballs / orzo
Leftover turkey meatballs from earlier in the week get a totally different flavor profile in this Italian-inspired soup that is a version of a soup we featured in 2014.
Smarts: Orzo is a small, rice-shaped pasta that cooks fast. Feel free to use any pasta shape here, but adjust the time to be sure the pasta is cooked through.
Smarts: Orzo is a small, rice-shaped pasta that cooks fast. Feel free to use any pasta shape here, but adjust the time to be sure the pasta is cooked through.
Tags
Proteins
Cuisines
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs:
- Green onions - 2 stalks, chopped, green and white parts separate
- Turkey, ground - 1 lb (look for ground dark meat turkey if available; sub ground beef or pork)
- Eggs - 1
- Panko breadcrumbs - 1/4 cup
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
- Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp
Italian Wedding Soup with Meatballs:
- Onions, medium - 1, diced
- Carrots - 8 oz, chopped
- Chard, any type - 4 leaves, leaves and stems chopped and separate
- Turkey meatballs (ingredients listed separately) - ~12, halved
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Tomato paste - 1 Tbsp
- Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
- Oregano, dried - 1/2 tsp
- Stock, any type - 5 cups
- Cheese, parmesan rind, (opt) - 1
- Pasta, orzo - 1/2 cup
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp
- Cheese, parmesan (opt) - 2 oz, grated
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories
550
Just a moment...
% Daily Value
Total Fat
17g
27%
Just a moment...
Saturated Fat
6g
32%
Just a moment...
Trans Fat
0g
Just a moment...
Cholesterol
140mg
47%
Just a moment...
Sodium
1372mg
57%
Just a moment...
Total Carbohydrate
49g
16%
Just a moment...
Dietary Fiber
5g
19%
Just a moment...
Sugars
11g
Just a moment...
Protein
49g
Just a moment...
Prep
- Onions / Carrots / Chard - Prep as directed. Combine onions, carrots, and chard stems in one container. Store chard leaves separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Green onions - Chop green onions, keeping green and white parts separate. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
- Make meatballs - (Skip if made ahead for Tuesday.) Mix white parts of green onions (reserve green parts), ground turkey, eggs, panko, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Form into 1” / 2.5 cm meatballs. Brush a sheet pan with some oil and spread meatballs out on the sheet pan. Bake at 375F / 190C degrees until meatballs are cooked through, 16 to 20 minutes. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
- Halve meatballs - Slice meatballs in half (or quarters if meatballs are large).
Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again
Try for freeLearn More
Make
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil and then onions, carrots, and chard stems to heated oil with a pinch of salt. Saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and oregano until fragrant, ~1 minute more.
- Add stock and parmesan rind (if using) and bring to a simmer. Stir in orzo and simmer until orzo is nearly tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add meatballs and chard leaves. Continue to simmer soup until orzo is tender and meatballs are warmed through.
- Move soup off heat and stir in lemon juice. Taste and season with some salt and pepper.
- Serve soup with grated parmesan and green parts of green onions sprinkled over top if you’d like. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories
550
Just a moment...
% Daily Value
Total Fat
17g
27%
Just a moment...
Saturated Fat
6g
32%
Just a moment...
Trans Fat
0g
Just a moment...
Cholesterol
140mg
47%
Just a moment...
Sodium
1372mg
57%
Just a moment...
Total Carbohydrate
49g
16%
Just a moment...
Dietary Fiber
5g
19%
Just a moment...
Sugars
11g
Just a moment...
Protein
49g
Just a moment...
Reviews
Ratings
24 reviews
Did 1/2 chicken sausage and 1/2 ground chicken to make the meatballs and it turned out! Will do all sausage next time and see how it goes.
0 HelpfulFantastic! I doubled the meatballs and froze half, used 1 lb beef & 1 lb turkey. Used spinach instead of chard, and used 2 packs of miropoix mix. Needed all of the broth as well.
0 HelpfulStraightforward, quick & easy weeknight meal. I read the reviews before I cooked & decided to double the seasoning. Unfortunately, it still needed even MORE seasoning. Other than that, it was just ok.
0 Helpful