Easy Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs

Homemade Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs is hearty, filling, and jam-packed with everything from meatballs to noodles, beans to veggies. This comfort food soup recipe has it all!

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Didn’t I warn you that ground turkey was going on sale? And when ground turkey is on sale, recipes are sure to follow. Here’s what I made with my second pack of ground turkey in one week: Easy Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs.

Mr. 11 is a huge fan of Italian wedding soup, so I figured that this was a great use for ground turkey — and he did put away a full bowl of soup super quickly, with only one complaint: That the meatballs should be smaller and “cuter.” So, there you go: Make your meatballs smaller and cuter than mine, if you want to meet his exacting specifications!

And, apparently, my homemade Italian Wedding Soup is… oy… “just as good as the can.” Um, thanks, Mr. 11. Even though canned Italian wedding soup pretty much tastes like salt to me, I will try to take his compliment in the spirit in which it was intended. 🙂 Psst — This is BETTER than the can!

I originally got the inspiration to make this easy Italian wedding soup recipe while shopping at ALDI, which doesn’t carry any of the traditional tiny Italian pastas one might normally use. They did, however, carry these small bags of La Moderna tiny shells pasta, so I just went with those. (Why not, right?) I paired my tiny pasta shells with a pack of fresh organic spinach + some pantry ingredients to make this big batch of hearty Italian wedding soup.

Oh yeah, and what happened to my first pack of ground turkey? That turned into these turkey taco stuffed sweet potatoes, of course!

Easy Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

– for the meatballs

1 lb ground turkey
1 large egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
Sea salt, to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil

– for the soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 a medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
2-4 cups water
1 can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley
1 cup dry small shells (or other small pasta)
5 oz baby spinach

– for serving

Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan, to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan, and spices with your hands until well combined (being careful not to over-mix). Form the turkey mixture into about 40 small meatballs. (See Note)

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the meatballs in a couple of separate batches (being careful not to crowd the pan) and brown them for about five minutes, turning occasionally. Remove browned meatballs from the skillet to a large plate (they will not be cooked all the way through, but will finish cooking in the soup).

Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or soup pot until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and saute for about 7-8 minutes until veggies are beginning to soften, stirring occasionally.

Add broth, beans, water, and spices and bring to a full boil. Add in the pasta and meatballs, and bring the soup back to a slow boil. Continue to cook at a slow boil for 9-10 minutes, until pasta is al dente and meatballs are cooked through.

Stir in spinach, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue simmering for another couple of minutes, just until spinach is wilted. Taste and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve your Italian wedding soup garnished with additional grated Parmesan, to taste.

Note: You can make the meatballs even smaller, if you like, but might reduce the browning time a bit if you choose to do so. Note that I also started with two cups of water, but added a couple more after the pasta cooked because it soaked up a lot of the liquid. Start with two, and see how you feel about the broth-to-stuff ratio in your own soup before adding more.

Meatballs, meatballs, we li-ike meatballs…

Way back when Mr. 11 was a much smaller Mr. Preschool Guy, they used to sing a random song at school: “Meatballs, meatballs, we li-ike meatballs… Go line up, and wash your hands!” Well, what are you waiting for? Get washed up for dinner, get ready to tuck into a bowl of comfort food, and enjoy this easy recipe for Italian wedding soup with turkey meatballs.

This hearty & flavorful soup recipe is jam packed with veggies, pasta, beans, and meatballs. Just add a warm, crusty loaf of bread on the side for a simple yet filling meal — or, go lighter with a side salad.

Easy Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs, printable recipe

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Easy Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs

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This hearty & flavorful soup is jam packed with veggies, pasta, beans, and meatballs; just add a crusty loaf of bread on the side for a simple yet filling meal.

Course dinner, Soup

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8

Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

– for the meatballs

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp parsley
• Sea salt, to taste
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

– for the soup

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 a medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2-4 cups water
• 1 can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp parsley
• 1 cup dry small shells or other small pasta
• 5 oz baby spinach

– for serving

• Sea salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• Grated Parmesan, to taste

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan, and spices with your hands until well combined (being careful not to over-mix). Form the turkey mixture into about 40 small meatballs. (See Note)
• Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the meatballs in a couple of separate batches (being careful not to crowd the pan) and brown them for about five minutes, turning occasionally. 
• Remove browned meatballs from the skillet to a large plate (they will not be cooked all the way through, but will finish cooking in the soup).
• Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or soup pot until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and saute for about 7-8 minutes until veggies are beginning to soften, stirring occasionally.
• Add broth, beans, water, and spices and bring to a full boil. Add in the pasta and meatballs, and bring the soup back to a slow boil. Continue to cook at a slow boil for 9-10 minutes, until pasta is al dente and meatballs are cooked through.
• Stir in spinach, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue simmering for another couple of minutes, just until spinach is wilted. 
• Taste and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve your Italian wedding soup garnished with additional grated Parmesan, to taste.

Notes

You can make the meatballs even smaller, if you like, but might reduce the browning time a bit if you choose to do so.

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