Get a wholesome and satisfying meal on the table in just 30 minutes with this hearty Turkey Meatball and Kale Soup.
Y’all know that I’m all about making healthy living as easy as possible. Because if your life is anything like mine, there just isn’t enough hours in the day to get it all done.
I’ve posted a couple of quick and easy 30 minute meals lately (like my Curried Cauliflower and Kale Soup and my Creamy Sweet Potato Bacon Chowder). Hopefully you’ve had a chance to try them out. Today’s Turkey Meatball and Kale recipe is inspired by a recent trip our family took to the Oregon Coast to visit family.
Last week our family travelled to Oregon to visit family and to check out some really cool prefab eco-houses. We are considering selling our house and buying a raw piece of land to put one on. We would like to expand our space a bit and have room for chickens and more gardening. It’s pretty amazing that you can have a custom house built and delivered to your land – especially if it’s more sustainable and green than building on site. You can check out IdeaBox here. I will definitely blog more about the process if we decide to go with it. I have to say, I was really impressed with the homes. We are looking at one of their 3 bedroom custom models.
After we checked out the prefab homes, we travelled to Seaside, Oregon to visit family. The Oregon coastline is so amazingly beautiful and less crowded then in California. Miles and miles of rugged coastline. And some good surf – if that’s your jam. I was surprised, though, by how cold it was. We definitely had to stay bundled up on the beach.
OK…. back to the soup recipe….
While we were there, my mother in law made us a wonderful turkey meatball soup that just warmed my soul. Super simple. Super nourishing. (Did I mention that I LOVE it when other people cook for me?) I just knew I had to recreate it for you guys. Her recipe included breadcrumbs and parmesan and took 2 hours to make. I switched it up a bit and came up with a gluten, grain, and dairy free version that can be thrown together in 30 minutes.
Easy. Hearty. Filling. And super tasty. Just a few simple ingredients.
I highly recommend using a good quality broth for this recipe. It really does make a difference. Bone broth is easy to make at home. You can also make a delicious vegetable broth from scraps from your kitchen. For this recipe, I actually used my first boxed bone broth. We have been traveling and are in the process of moving, so my bone broth stock is low. This is the brand that I tried.
I have to admit that this is the first store-bought bone broth that I have tried. And it’s AMAZING! Who knew? It’s rich and delicious. And 10 grams of protein per serving. It’s made with bones from organically raised chickens or cattle, then slow simmered for a solid 24 hours with organic vegetables, sea salt and herbs. Just like I do it at home.
What an easy way to get your gelatin fix! I will definitely keep this in the pantry for when my homemade bone broth stock is low. The shelf life is 2 years- without any preservatives!
Want to try some kick ass bone broth? Check out Kettle and Fire Bone Broth and save 20% on your first order.
Get your bone broth HERE!
Hope you enjoy!
xo,
Katja
Print30 Minute Turkey Meatball and Kale Soup
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
for meatballs
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 egg, whipped
- 2–4 tbsp flour (cassava, almond, coconut) **see note below
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder) (like this)
- 2 tbsp fresh herbs (parsley, basil, dill, or cilantro) OR 1/2 tsp dried
- 3/4 tsp salt
- several grinds of fresh black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter, ghee, or coconut oil
for soup
- 2 tbsp butter, ghee, or coconut oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 large carrots, chipped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups of good quality broth (chicken OR vegetable)
- 1 bunch of kale, destemmed and chopped (I used the Dino variety)
garnish
- chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, dill, or cilantro)
- red pepper flakes (like this)
Instructions
- TO MAKE MEATBALLS: In a large bowl, combine turkey meat, egg, flour, garlic, salt, and herbs and mix until well incorporated. Roll into small balls (about 1 1/2 inches). You’ll get about 24-26 meatballs. Heat 2 tbsp fat of choice in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Cook meatballs for 3-4 minutes, until all sides are brown. You may need to do this in batches. Set aside.
- TO MAKE SOUP: Heat 2 tbsp fat of choice in large soup pot. Add onions, carrots and garlic and cook until onions are translucent – about 5 minutes.
- Add bay leaves, broth, and meatballs. Bring to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add kale and cook until meatballs are cooked through- about 5-7 minutes.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh herbs and red pepper flakes.
Notes
**I used 3 tablespoons of cassava flour for my binder. Feel free to use any flour that you have. The amount you need depends on the flour. Add just enough so the meat is not too sticky to roll into balls.
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Renee Kohley says
What a perfect week night fast and nourishing dinner! Thank you!
Katja Heino says
RIGHT!! I love quick and easy meals!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
This looks so delicious and nourishing. I could really go for a bowl of this. I’ve been sick for a week and soup has been the only soothing thing. I love that yours is full of kale, one of my favorite greens. Yum!
Katja Heino says
Hope you feel better soon, Emily!!
Cynthia says
I didn’t have kale at the time so I used spinach in it instead, came out really good and my two grown picky eaters really liked it too.. So now I make it at least every two weeks.
Michele Spring says
I definitely want to hear if you guys go through with the prefab eco house thing! That sounds so interesting. And this soup looks so nourishing and delicious! Yum.
Katja Heino says
It’s an exciting project for sure. Can’t wait to share more about it. It will e a huge undertaking as we are buying raw land.
Suzette Burrous says
I tried this soup and it’s absolutely delicious and nourishing. I will order the bone broth for sure.
Katja Heino says
HA! Thanks for taking the time to leave some feedback. I will have to feed you my recipes more often. 😉
Susan Brown says
Very good! Thanks for the recognition too! I’ve never heard of cassava flour, so I had to do some research – interesting.
Sorry about the cold weather while you were here. It’s been an unusually long and cold winter, but I promise if you come back during the summer you’ll love it!
Katja Heino says
Hi, Susan! We will definitely be back. Thanks so much for having us. Sending big love!!
Cristina Curp says
Oh my goodness! This looks DIVINE@
Katja Heino says
Thanks, Cristina!
Tina says
This sounds really delicious! I love Turkey + Kale!
Katja Heino says
It’s so good… and so easy!
Stacey L Crawford says
This soup looks delicious. I love a good and meaty soup!
Katja Heino says
Thanks, Stacey!
Allison Wojtowecz says
Meatballs in soup is so new! Love all the veggies!
Katja Heino says
I’m all about tons of veggies in my soup.
Anya says
This soup looks like it can warm my soul too. So delicious. Oregon is so beautiful, definitely not as crowded as California but both are gorgeous in their own right. Can’t wait to hear more about your eco-house!
Katja Heino says
Yes, we love Oregon, but California is my home. I’ll post more about the house as soon as I pick the model that I want.
ChihYu says
Love meatballs and kale is probably one of my most favorite leafy greens. This soup is so nutritious and simply amazing !
Katja Heino says
Thanks! I love kale too!
Jessica DeMay says
This soup looks delicious and comforting, but also has the freshness that is nice in the spring! I love how quick it is and my husband is always down for soup if it has meatballs 🙂
Katja Heino says
Thanks, Jessica!!
Taesha Butler (The Natural Nurturer) says
You had me at 30 minutes! Everyone needs a handful of easy nourishing meal to have in their back pocket for busy nights and quick dinners!
Katja Heino says
Totally! Makes healthy eating so much easier.
Becky Winkler says
I love kale and meatball soup, and in 30 minutes?? So perfect!
Katja Heino says
Right! I’m all about 30 minute meals!!
Rachel says
This totally looks like health in a bowl! AND I’m such a Kettle & Fire fangirl… I was just commenting earlier today that it’s pricey but the convenience is worth it!
Katja Heino says
Health in a bowl! I love it!!
Kari - Get Inspired Everyday! says
Even though we’re heading into spring, I’ve been craving soups more than ever lately, I love how this one is so light and refreshing looking yet still comforting + meatballs are everything!
Katja Heino says
So comforting! I could eat this ALL year round.
Cynthia Nicks says
I made this a couple months ago and I’m still making it every two weeks now, didn’t have kale at the time so I used spinach in it instead, came out really tasty.
My two grown picky eaters really liked it also which is a really good thing.
★★★★★
Carrie Forrest says
Wow! This looks amazing! I sure do love me some turkey.
Katja Heino says
Thanks, Carrie!!
20 Dishes says
This looks so nourishing and satisfying. Great job!
★★★★★
Katja Heino says
Thanks!!
Polina B. says
I didn’t use any flour and they were sticking together just fine. Also, you can skip that extra step of frying meatballs first, I throw them right in the soup like my mom does and it tastes amazing. So if anyone wants to cook faster, that’s the way. Save your flour, oil and time!!
★★★★★
Janet says
That’s an amazing idea! Was quite messy making the meatballs
Polina says
Thanks, wet your hands in cool water, before making meatballs. This way ground meat doesn’t stick to your hands. ?
Polina says
Hi delicious soup! I did not add flour and egg to meatballs and didn’t fry them either. So save your flour, eggs and oil. It will still come out amazing and healthy!! ?
★★★★
Maegan says
So flavorful and delicious! I went the cilantro route and couldn’t be happier with the outcome. I also used collagen powered in lieu of GF flour, and the meatballs turned out fine. Only ingredients I added more of was salt and garlic.
★★★★★
Katja Heino says
Yay! So glad you liked it. It’s almost soup season. I need to make this again for my family.
Bethany says
Currently I am sadly unable to eat eggs 🙁 Is there another binder you could/would suggest for the meatballs or should I save this recipe for when I can hopefully eat eggs again?
Katja Heino says
You can just leave the egg out. You may just have to be a bit more careful when frying up your meatballs, but it will still work. Let me know if you give it a try. 🙂
Polina says
Bethany, I didn’t use any eggs or flour & no frying them. Those steps aren’t needed. You can make your meatballs with your hands and throw them in soup. Make sure you have a bowl of cool water to clean your hands/fingers in it so the meat doesn’t stick and it’s easier to make them. (Ukrainian way) 😉
Katja Heino says
Yes, you can totally do that too. I prefer my meatballs browned on the outside. But they are super yummy cooked in the broth as well. 🙂
Saera says
Loved this savory and satisfying soup! I used Laxmi brand ginger garlic paste from the Indian store (someone introduced me to it recently and it is SO good and convenient!) and kosher salt. Thank you. This will be made often in my home!
★★★★★
Katja Heino says
Yay! So glad you loved it! 🙂
Leslie says
I made this tonight for dinner, and my family loved it – even my picky kids! It took much longer than 30 minutes for me to make, however. Next time, I will use a food processor for my vegetable chopping. That should do it.
★★★★★
Katja Heino says
Yay! So glad that you loved it. 🙂
Nancy says
I had exactly the same experience, Leslie.
The turkey meatballs were delicious, but my soup broth was on the bland side–even though I increased the amount of salt used. Any ideas as to why this might be? (The bone broth was unsalted.)
★★★
Katja Heino says
I make my own or buy it from Kettle and Fire. Both are always very flavorful. You can check out KandF HERE I love the quality of their broths. 🙂
Mary says
Can you tell me how many carbs per serving? Thanks
Katja Heino says
Hi, Mary! I do not calculate, but you can use this if you want to know —–> https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ Hope that helps. 🙂
Tammera Lowe says
My wife and I enjoyed this recipe. I tripled the recipe, so I could freeze some. I used coconut flour, garlic powder, and dried basil in the meatballs. I subbed celery for carrots to keep it lower in carbs. I used my own homemade bone broth, which is unsalted, so the actual broth needed a bit of salt, but the meatballs were deliciously salty. I also used a 12 oz bag of frozen organic chopped kale (since I tripled the recipe). As long as I got a bit of meatball in each bite, it was just the right taste. Thank you for the recipe.
Katja Heino says
I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing your subs. I love to make extra to freeze for later. 🙂
Hailley says
Thanks for the recipe. This was so delicious! Next time I may need to add more chicken broth 🙂
Katja Heino says
Glad you liked it! YOu can always just add a bit of water if you want to stretch it out a bit. 🙂
Rachael says
I made this last night! So delicious and easy!! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Katja Heino says
Yay! Glad you liked it.
Jarrod says
Made this today in our slow cooker. House smells fantastic! I stuck to the recipe and threw in some zucchini that needed to be used soon. Delicious! My wife and I love it. We still have half left for tomorrow’s lunch. I expect these flavors are going to marry well overnight and be even better tomorrow. Thanks so much for sharing!
★★★★★
Katja Heino says
YES! So glad you love it. This is a total family fav around here.
Lady O says
Ah-mazing! Loved it and it was so easy to make. My meal prepping is done for the week! Thanks!
★★★★★
Katja Heino says
Oh, yay! That makes me happy to hear. I love simple meals.
Lisa L says
I absolutely cannot wait to make this. It looks divine! So thrilled I came across your Pinterest page.
Love,
Your new follower <3
Katja Heino says
Hope you enjoy it! Welcome!!
Betty says
It Definitely sounds so delicious, I am going try your recipe . Thank for sharing, also we are planning a family trip to Oregon….. yes, California is to Crowded
★★★★★
Katja Heino says
Hope you enjoy it!
Karen Dean says
Hi,
I M LOOKING FOR THE NUTRITIONAL VALUES….did I miss them? Or??? thanks!
Katja Heino says
Hi, Karen! I don’t calculate, but you can use a site like https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ Hope that helps. 🙂
thefolia says
I too use my own stock but have this brand on hand just in case, used a bit in my pork roast…happt feasting, this bowls looks nutritious and delicious.
Ashley says
I made the soup this evening. It was packed with flavor and absolutely delicious! 10 / 10 I will absolutely make this again.
★★★★★
Katja Heino says
WooHoo! 10/10! I’ll take it. Glad you like it! 🙂
Danika says
Hello, do you use dark or white meat for the turkey meatballs?
Katja Heino says
I prefer dark meat myself as it is more flavorful. But you can use whatever you like. 🙂
GardenBar says
It was a perfect hit recipe with my family members. Thank uou for it.
★★★★★
Dawn says
How many calories, grams of sugar and grams of protein?
Katja Heino says
Hi, Dawn. I don’t calculate. But if you want to know, you can use this free app —-> https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ Hope that helps 🙂
Lucie says
Fantastic, nourishing, soul-warming soup! I made this soup today with just a couple minor tweaks – I added Better Than Bouillon Chicken bouillon, which I use in every soup I make. I let the soup simmer for a good 30 minutes after I put the kale in simply because I prefer to let my veggies simmer for a while, and I served the soup with a small sprinkling of grated parm on top. Really lovely meal!
★★★★★
Katja Heino says
So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Shannon Gadberry says
The meatballs really didnt hold together well but this soup is amazingly delicious. Next time i will just cook up the ground turkey and season it as stated and double the recipe so i can have leftovers yummmmy!!
★★★★★