Italian Wedding Soup With Turkey Meatballs

By Sarah Copeland

Published Jan. 29, 2023

Italian Wedding Soup With Turkey Meatballs
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(6,720)
Comments
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Classic Italian wedding soup is beloved for its simplicity and satisfaction. This turkey version is lean, while meatballs stay moist by simmering in broth. Start with the most flavorful broth you can get your hands on (homemade is ideal, but store-bought works well too), then pack the meatballs with flavor (garlic and parsley) and staying power (egg, panko and cheese, to gently bind them together). Traditionalists may be tempted to add a small grated onion to the meat mixture, and sweat celery and carrots into the broth, but for a quick weeknight meal, you won’t miss them here. If speed is your game, roll the mixture into 12 large meatballs—or opt for 20 smaller ones if serving kids (mini meatballs will cook through even faster). Either way, finish with a healthy dose of olive oil, lemon, cheese and dill, or any fresh Italian herb you may have on hand.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 12cups chicken broth
  • 2tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for greasing and serving
  • 1pound lean ground turkey
  • ½cup panko bread crumbs
  • ⅓packed cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 1egg, lightly beaten
  • 3 to 4garlic cloves, minced
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • ½teaspoon black pepper
  • ½cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
  • ¾cup orzo, ditalini, acini di pepe or another small soup pasta
  • 3packed cups baby spinach or kale, thinly sliced
  • 1lemon, zested and halved
  • ¼cup fresh dill, oregano or basil, roughly chopped (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

689 calories; 30 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 53 grams protein; 1823 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the chicken broth and 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot and bring to a boil.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, add the turkey, panko, parsley, egg, garlic, salt, pepper and ½ cup Parmesan to a large bowl. Mix with a fork or clean hands until combined. Gently roll the mixture into 12 medium (2-inch) or 20 small (1½-inch) meatballs and transfer to a baking sheet lined with lightly oiled aluminum foil or a silicone baking mat.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the broiler to high and set an oven rack 6 to 8 inches from the heat. Broil the meatballs until brown on two sides, turning halfway through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

  4. Step 4

    Add the pasta to the boiling broth and cook over medium until al dente, then lower the heat to a low simmer.

  5. Step 5

    Add the meatballs to the broth and simmer on low until completely warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, and add the spinach and lemon zest, stirring well to wilt. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  6. Step 6

    Divide the soup among 4 bowls. Drizzle each with olive oil, sprinkle with more Parmesan and squeeze a bit of lemon over the top. Scatter the dill over the top, or stir in.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
6,720 user ratings
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Comments

maryanne

Lowered a steamer basket into the broth and cooked the pasta. Drained it and set aside with a splash of olive oil to keep from sticking and a sprinkle of dill. Then proceeded w adding the meatballs to the broth and finishing w spinach and lemon. Added the pasta to soup bowls and poured soup over pasta at the table. Fun presentation and keeps pasta from getting soggy in the soup.

RB

Made it exactly as written plus two cans of cannellini beans. Used fresh basil, lemon wedge and fresh Parmesan to finish per the recipe. Delicious.

Carol Holland

My kids called this seaweed soup and loved it when I made it from scratch. Easy version : low salt chicken broth from supermarket, Trader Joe's frozen precooked Italian meatballs halved or quartered, fresh or frozen baby spinach or other greens, pasta, grated Italian cheese. Add lemon, herbs, olive oil if desired. Fast and delicious.

LG

My chicken broth was not very good so I don't want to blame our rather bland soup on the recipe. Regardless, it seemed to me that the proportions were very off and we needed either more pasta or less broth.

Susan

Both of us loved this soup -- very flavorful. I saw it in an article about fast weeknight meals. They LIE! This recipe is not 30 minutes -- it's 90 minutes. I started with all the ingredients on my kitchen counter and began slicing, zesting, chopping and mixing meat. It took 90 minutes from start to on the table -- not what I would call a fast weeknight meal. It will be much faster when I heat up the leftovers for another dinner . . . would get 5 stars if it really took 30 minutes.

Jessica

Delicious, a hit with the whole family. I used ground chicken instead of turkey, the meatballs were a little hard to form but I ended up using a tablespoon to “drop” them into a skillet (my oven is broken so no broiling). Homemade stock made it extra tasty, don’t skip the lemon (or any citrus you have on hand) at the end!

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