Turkey Meatball Soup (Slow Cooker)

This turkey meatball soup is a healthy spin on classic Italian Wedding Soup and is made lighter with turkey meatballs, white beans, and plenty of kale, all in a light and comforting broth.

When cozy soup season is in full swing, that’s when my trusty slow cooker gets the most use. I’m a big fan of workhorse appliances that make weeknight dinners a total breeze. If you’re a fan of my Italian wedding soup, slow cooker tortellini soup with sausage and kale, and my slow cooker Tuscan white bean and sausage soup, then you will definitely love this turkey meatball soup. It’s light and healthy, featuring a broth that’s full of flavor, tender, juicy turkey meatballs, hearty veggies, and Italian seasonings.

Why You’ll Love It

• This turkey meatball soup is weeknight-friendly and made easy thanks to the slow cooker
• It’s light and healthy yet super satisfying
• It makes great leftovers and freezes wonderfully

Turkey Meatball Soup Ingredients

For the turkey meatballs:

• Milk—tenderizes the ground turkey, keeping the meatballs juicy and never dry
• Bread—bread absorbs all of the juices in the meatballs and holds them there so the meatballs don’t dry out when getting cooked
• Ground turkey—85% lean
• Shallot—gives the meatballs a nice savory flavor
• Garlic—brings a nice Italian flavor to the meatballs
• Nutmeg—I like using freshly grated nutmeg
• Oregano—I use dried but you could use fresh
• Red pepper flakes—for just a kiss of heat (feel free to omit if you prefer)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—always, for flavor
• Parmigiano-Reggiano—for flavor and also binding
• Parsley—fresh parsley is the way to go and adds color to the meatballs
• Egg—works as a binder and also adds moisture to the meatballs

For the soup:

• Olive oil—for searing the meatballs
• Chicken or vegetable broth—even better if you have homemade chicken broth on hand
• Canned white beans—I use Great Northern beans here, but any small white bean would work great
• Carrots—along with onion and kale, add nutrition and texture to the soup
• Onion—makes for a flavorful broth
• Kale—adds heft, color, and nutrition to the soup, but escarole, Swiss or rainbow chard and even spinach would be great options

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Turkey Meatball Soup

• Make the meatballs. Add milk to a large mixing bowl then tear the bread into chunks and add to the milk to soak. Add the turkey, shallot, garlic, nutmeg, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, cheese, parsley, and egg and gently mix with your fingers until the mixture is combined. Use a small scoop or melon baller to form ½-inch balls.
• Sear the meatballs. Sear the meatballs over medium-high heat and lightly sear the meatballs for 1-2 minutes on each side (you’re not fully cooking them here, just getting a nice sear and a headstart on cooking so they retain their shape later).
• Add everything to the slow cooker and let it work its magic. Add the broth, beans, carrots, onion, and kale to the insert of a 5-7 quart slow cooker. Drop the meatballs onto the kale, cover, and cook on low for 4 hours or until the meatballs float to the surface.
• Top and serve. Serve the soup with grated Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and fresh parsley leaves.

Recipe Tips

• Sear your meatballs first. This step is key and ensures that your meatballs get an extra layer of flavor (thanks to the sear) and that they will hold together when you add them to the slow cooker.
•  Consider adding your kale later. If you’re hoping for the leaves to retain their bright green color, add the kale in the last 1 ½ hours of cooking. If you’re not concerned, they cook up tender and flavorful with the total cooking time.
• Make it your own by adding any of the following: Sitr in some homemade pesto or storebought pesto into the broth, add some pasta, add diced tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes
• Serve with homemade croutons on top. This crouton recipe is SO easy and delish.

Storage

This turkey meatball soup will keep stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It also freezes great and will keep in the freezer for about 3 months.

What to Serve with Turkey Meatball Soup

• Killer Garlic Knots
• The BEST Garlic Bread
• Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons
• Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan
• Kale Salad with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

4.26 from 54 votes

Turkey Meatball Soup (Slow Cooker)

This healthy spin on classic Italian Wedding Soup is made lighter with turkey meatballs, white beans, and plenty of kale, all in a light and comforting broth.

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Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword turkey meatball soup

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 , makes, about 55 ½-inch meatballs

Calories 244kcal

Ingredients 

½x1x2x3x

• ¼ cup milk
• 2 slices bread
• 1 pound lean ground turkey , (85% lean)
• 1 medium shallot , finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic , finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano , grated, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons Italian parsley , chopped
• 1 egg , beaten
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth , (64 ounces)
• 1 15- ounce can white Northern beans or other small white bean , drained and rinsed
• 2 carrots , sliced
• ½ yellow onion , chopped
• 4 cups kale about 1 pound

Instructions

• Add milk to a large mixing bowl then tear the bread into chunks and add to the milk to soak. Add the turkey, shallot, garlic, nutmeg, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, cheese, parsley, and egg and gently mix with your fingers until the mixture is combined. Use a small scoop or melon baller to form ½-inch balls.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and lightly sear the meatballs for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the broth, beans, carrots, onion, and kale to the insert of a 5-7 quart slow cooker.
• Drop the meatballs onto the kale, cover, and cook on low for 4 hours or until the meatballs float to the surface.
• Serve the soup with grated Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and fresh parsley leaves.

Notes

adapted from Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1063mg | Potassium: 860mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 6112IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 215mg | Iron: 3mg

More Meatball Recipes to Try:

• Italian Wedding Soup
• Italian Meatball Minestrone Soup
• French Onion Meatballs with Orzo
• Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Kale
• Thai Turkey Meatballs in Coconut Red Curry Sauce
• Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup

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