Description
As a self-proclaimed soup aficionado, there are few things that I find more comforting on a chilly day than a cozy bowl of soup. This Italian Wedding Soup recipe is a longtime favorite, especially when I’m craving something that’s both comforting & light.
Inspired by the traditional Italian soup we all know & love, this recipe has familiar flavor with a few feel-good twists: we’ve swapped traditional beef & pork meatballs with leaner poultry meatballs (feel free to make them using ground chicken or turkey!), opted for a combination of protein-rich quinoa & white beans in place of classic pasta, & laced the broth with a generous amount of lemon juice for deliciously bright flavor.
The result is total lightened-up comfort food, ideal for a cozy & bright meal to warm up any chilly day. Leftovers reheat beautifully for easy lunches throughout the week, & they’re also super freezer-friendly – check out the Recipe Notes, below, for full instructions, along with a few alternate cooking methods & easy substitutions.
Ever since we first shared this recipe early in 2019, this Italian wedding soup with turkey meatballs has brought comfort & warmth to countless PWWB readers’ kitchens. We hope you love it as much as we do! ♡ Happy cooking!
Ingredients
Scale
- chicken/turkey meatballs, below
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise & excess paper removed
- optional: 2 dried bay leaves, 1 parmesan rind
- ½ cup dry quinoa, rinsed
- 48 ounces chicken stock or broth
- 2 lemons, juiced
- two 14-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 bunch kale, destemmed & finely shredded (about 3 cups packed)
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: fresh pesto, shaved parmesan, finely chopped parsley or basil, crusty buttered bread or No-Knead Italian Herb & Asiago Bread
for the poultry meatballs:
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey or chicken (see Recipe Notes)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Mix & form the chicken/turkey meatballs: Add the ground turkey or chicken, panko breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, egg, & Italian seasoning to a medium bowl. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Use your hands to mix just until combined – take care to avoid over-mixing. Gently roll the meatball mixture into heaping tablespoon-sized balls – take care to avoid pressing the meatballs together too compactly. For quickness & ease, I like using a spring-loaded scoop. The mixture yields 20-22 1-inch meatballs.
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- Brown the meatballs: Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a lid such as a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, add the meatballs to the pot. Working in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding the skillet, cook the meatballs 2 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Transfer to a plate & repeat with any remaining meatballs.
- Cook the aromatics: Once the meatballs have browned, soften the carrots & onion. If needed, add in an extra splash of olive oil to the pot. Add the diced carrot & onion, seasoning with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the veggies begin to soften slightly, 4-5 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning to the pot, stirring to combine. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Build & simmer the Italian wedding soup with meatballs: Add the meatballs back into the pot, along with the garlic, bay leaves & parmesan rind (if using), quinoa, chicken stock, & lemon juice. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cover & cook 10-12 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the quinoa is tender. Stir the white beans & shredded kale into the soup, then simmer 4-5 minutes longer, until heated through. Carefully taste & adjust seasoning as needed. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="39402,39403"]
- Serve: Remove & discard the bay leaves, parmesan rind, & spent garlic (though it’s okay if a few softened garlic cloves stay behind!). Ladle the Italian wedding soup with chicken meatballs into individual bowls. Finish each bowl a spoonful of fresh pesto, extra shaved parmesan, & finely chopped fresh herbs as desired. For the ultimate comfort food meal, serve alongside crusty bread – this No-Knead Italian Herb & Asiago Bread is our fave! Enjoy!
Notes
- Ingredient Notes:
- Ground turkey or chicken: The secret to seriously juicy & tender turkey or chicken meatballs is using the right poultry. Whether you decide to use ground chicken or turkey, it needs a decent fat content, otherwise the meatballs will dry out. Look for at least 93% lean, though if you can find 90-92%, that’s even better! If you’re purchasing from your grocery store’s butcher counter, ask for ground turkey/chicken thigh or dark meat.
- Store-bought shortcut: If you’re short on time, feel free to make this Italian wedding soup recipe using your favorite frozen meatballs. I love these turkey meatballs & these mini meatballs are so fun! Most frozen meatballs are fully-cooked, so just drop them right into the soup pot as directed in Step 4 & simmer until they’re warmed through.
- Storage & Freezing:
- Storage & Reheating: Leftover Italian wedding soup with chicken or turkey meatballs will keep, stored in the refrigerator, for up to 4-5 days. Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top until warmed through.
- Freezing Instructions: Transfer cooled Italian wedding soup soup to a freezer-safe container & freeze for up to 3 months – these are my absolute favorite freezer containers for perfect individual portions! Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight & reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Alternate Cooking Methods:
- Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup with Meatballs: For mot flavorful results, roll & brown the meatballs & soften the aromatics according to Steps 1-3, above. Transfer the browned meatballs & softened aromatics to your slow cooker, then assemble the soup according to Step 4. Slow cook on high for 2-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally as desired. In the last 30 minutes, add the kale & white beans to the slow cooker. If your slow cooker has a searing/browning feature, you can use it to cook the entire Italian soup (Steps 2-4) in the slow cooker.
- Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup with Meatballs: Use your Instant Pot’s “Sauté” setting to cook the recipe according to Steps 1-4, above. Cover & seal the pressure cooker and cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes – allow for 15-20 minutes for pressure to build. Quick release the pot by carefully flicking the valve to its “venting” position. Stir in the kale & white beans – the residual heat from the pot should warm them up quickly.
- 15-20 Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this recipe comes from prepping & forming the chicken or turkey meatballs. Take care of some of this in advance & you can jump straight in to cooking during the week:
- Mix & form the turkey meatballs according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions, above. You can roll out the meatballs immediately or save the rolling for dinnertime; either way, the mixture will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (15 minutes active)
- Chop the veggies. Dice 3 medium carrots & 1 medium yellow onion. Store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (5 minutes active prep)