This Greek-Inspired Turkey Meatball Soup is cozy, hearty and fresh all at the same time. Tender turkey and feta meatballs simmer with orzo, vegetables and spinach in a bright, lemony chicken broth, with plenty of fresh dill and parsley stirred in right at the end. Best of all, it’s ready in under 60 minutes.
Enjoy it on its own for lunch, as a starter with one of my Mediterranean Main Dishes, with some lovely Homemade Same-Day Focaccia or crusty bread. It even works as a main with one of my Mediterranean Salad Recipes for a complete meal.
Turkey Meatball Soup: Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings
6 Servings
Calories*
277 kcal
Difficulty
Easy
Main Ingredients
Ground turkey, breadcrumbs, dill, parsley, feta, oregano, chicken broth, onion, celery, carrot, orzo, spinach and lemon.
Technique
Rolling and searing meatballs, sautéing aromatics and simmering a soup.
*Calories are estimated
Table of Contents
Why My Recipe Works
- Easy enough for a weeknight. The turkey and feta meatballs come together quickly, and everything cooks in one pot after they’re browned, making this a straightforward and satisfying dinner.
- Perfect for soup season. This soup is warm and comforting for fall and winter, while fresh lemon, dill, parsley and spinach keep it tasting bright. A Greek-inspired take on Italian Wedding soup.
- Tested and Reliable. Groceries can be expensive! All my Soup Recipes are tested by me, my team or recipe testers before posting.
Ingredients
This is a pretty straightforward recipe with simple and accessible ingredients. There’s definitely room to play with the flavors and tailor things to your needs. Here’s what you will need:
- Ground Turkey: The base of these tender meatballs. Ground chicken can also work well here. Or even another ground protein like ground beef or lamb. You can also use my Beef Kofta or Chicken Kafta recipes as a base for the meatballs for a more Middle Eastern spin on this recipe.
- Plain breadcrumbs: Help bind the meatballs and absorb excess moisture. Depending on how wet your ground turkey is, you may need a little extra. I always find that ground turkey will have different moisture levels depending on where you buy it, so I always need to adjust the breadcrumb amount.
- Feta Cheese: The saltiness and creaminess of Greek Feta make the meatballs extra special.
- Fresh Herbs: I am using a combination of fresh dill and fresh parsley in both the meatball mixture and as garnish when the soup is finished. These are quintessential Mediterranean/Greek herbs. You’ll find them in many of my Greek Recipes.
- Chicken broth: I like using a low sodium boxed chicken broth in this recipe. The low-sodium allows me to control the salt level myself. You can also make your own chicken broth.
- Orzo Pasta: A small pasta that makes the soup hearty; you can substitute it with any small pasta shape. It’s a great ingredient in soup, but can also be used for salads, like in my Mediterranean Orzo Salad recipe. Also try my Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.
Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make this Greek-Inspired Turkey Meatball Soup Recipe
Step 1. Make the Meatballs. Add the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, feta, garlic, parsley, dill, oregano, salt and pepper to a medium bowl. Mix gently until everything is just combined. Form the mixture into small meatballs, using about a tablespoon of mixture for each one. If the turkey mixture feels especially wet and is difficult to shape, add a little more breadcrumb until the meatballs hold together. Avoid adding too much or the meatballs can become dense.
Step 2. Brown the Meatballs. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, working in batches if necessary, and brown them for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally. You aren’t trying to cook them all the way through at this stage. Browning builds flavor and helps the meatballs hold their shape in the soup. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate.
Step 3. Sauté the Vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion, carrots and celery to the pot and cook for 5-6 minutes, until they begin to soften. Stir in the minced garlic cloves and dried oregano and cook for another 30 seconds.
Step 4. Simmer Broth. Pour in the chicken broth, heat on high until the broth starts to boil, then reduce to medium heat.
Step 5. Add Meatballs and Orzo. Return the browned turkey meatballs to the pot and add the dry orzo. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente and the turkey meatballs are completely cooked through.
Step 6. Finish with Spinach, Lemon and Herbs. Stir in the baby spinach and cook just until wilted. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice, dill and parsley. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with salt, freshly cracked black pepper and additional lemon juice as needed. If the soup is thicker than you like, add a little more chicken broth until you reach your preferred consistency.
Step 7. Serve. Ladle the Greek-inspired turkey meatball orzo soup into bowls and finish each serving with crumbled feta, fresh dill, freshly cracked black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Pairing and Menu Ideas
Enjoy this delicious soup on its own for a light lunch, or as an appetizer course.
Serve it with one of my loaf recipes (No Knead White bread, No Knead Whole Wheat Bread or No Knead Rosemary Parmesan Bread).
It also works well with a cheesy focaccia. Try my Mushroom Cheddar Focaccia, Cherry Tomato Feta Focaccia or Caramelized Onion Gruyere Focaccia.
If you prefer soft dinner rolls instead, try my Buttery Dinner Rolls or my Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls.
Expert Tips
- Don’t overwork the meatballs. Ground turkey is quite lean, so mixing it aggressively can produce firm, rubbery meatballs. Combine the ingredients gently and stop as soon as everything is evenly incorporated. Using lightly wet hands makes it easy to roll the meatballs.
- Adjust the breadcrumbs based on your turkey. Different packages of ground turkey can have noticeably different moisture levels. Start with the recommended amount. If the mixture is too wet to roll into balls, add a little more breadcrumb until it becomes manageable.
- Keep the meatballs small. One-tablespoon meatballs cook quickly and are much easier to eat in a soup than large meatballs. Keeping them similar in size also helps them cook evenly. Also, check out my Meatball Soup (Levantine Kofta and Noodle Soup) recipe.
- Brown for flavor, not doneness. The meatballs finish cooking in the broth, so you only need to develop some color on the outside during the browning stage. This adds another layer of savory flavor without drying them out.
- Keep extra broth handy. This is especially important if you’re planning on leftovers. The orzo will continue soaking up broth in the refrigerator, so you may need to add more chicken broth when reheating.
- Taste before adding more salt. Feta and chicken broth can both be fairly salty, so wait until the soup comes together before making your final seasoning adjustments.
Turkey Meatball Soup Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can prepare and shape the turkey and feta meatballs a day ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook. You can also make the entire soup ahead, but keep in mind that the orzo will continue absorbing broth as it sits. For the best make-ahead results, cook the orzo separately and add it to individual portions when serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The soup will become thicker as the orzo absorbs the broth. When reheating, add a splash of chicken broth or water to loosen it back up. Taste after reheating and add another squeeze of fresh lemon if the flavors need brightening.
Yes, but for the best texture, I recommend freezing the soup without the orzo. Pasta can become very soft after freezing, thawing and reheating. Prepare the soup and meatballs without adding the orzo, cool completely and freeze in airtight containers. When you’re ready to serve, thaw and reheat the soup, then add freshly cooked orzo.
You can also freeze the cooked turkey and feta meatballs separately and use them for a future batch of soup.
The meatballs should be cooked completely through before serving. Ground turkey should reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) when measured in the center with an instant-read thermometer.
Other Soup Recipes
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Turkey Meatball Soup (with Feta and Orzo)
Ingredients
For the Turkey & Feta Meatballs
- 1 lb Ground turkey
- ⅓ cup Plain breadcrumbs – You may need more, see note
- 1 Large egg
- ½ cup Crumbled feta
- 2 Garlic cloves (grated)
- 2 tablespoon Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Fresh dill (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
For the Soup
- 2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Medium yellow onion (finely diced)
- 1 Carrot (diced)
- 2 Celery stalks (diced)
- 3 Garlic cloves (minced)
- ½ teaspoon Dried oregano
- 5-6 cups Chicken broth – Start with 5 and add more later to reach brothy consistency, if needed
- ½ cup Orzo
- 4 cups Baby spinach
- 3 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup Fresh dill (chopped)
- ¼ cup Fresh parsley (chopped)
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
For Serving
- Crumbled feta, fresh dill, lemon wedges, extra virgin olive oil and/or freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Make the Meatballs. Add the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, feta, garlic, parsley, dill, oregano, salt and pepper to a medium bowl. Mix gently until everything is just combined. Form the mixture into small meatballs, using about a tablespoon of mixture for each one. If the turkey mixture feels especially wet and is difficult to shape, add a little more breadcrumb until the meatballs hold together. Avoid adding too much or the meatballs can become dense.
- Brown the Meatballs. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, working in batches if necessary, and brown them for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally. You aren’t trying to cook them all the way through at this stage. Browning builds flavor and helps the meatballs hold their shape in the soup. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate.
- Sauté the Vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion, carrots and celery to the pot and cook for 5-6 minutes, until they begin to soften. Stir in the minced garlic cloves and dried oregano and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Simmer Broth. Pour in the chicken broth, heat on high until the broth starts to boil, then reduce to medium heat.
- Add Meatballs and Orzo. Return the browned turkey meatballs to the pot and add the dry orzo. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente and the turkey meatballs are completely cooked through.
- Finish with Spinach, Lemon and Herbs. Stir in the baby spinach and cook just until wilted. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice, dill and parsley. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with salt, freshly cracked black pepper and additional lemon juice as needed. If the soup is thicker than you like, add a little more chicken broth until you reach your preferred consistency.
- Serve. Ladle the Greek-inspired turkey meatball orzo soup into bowls and finish each serving with crumbled feta, fresh dill, freshly cracked black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Ground Turkey: The base of these tender meatballs. Ground chicken can also work well here. Or even another ground protein like ground beef or lamb.
- Plain breadcrumbs: Help bind the meatballs and absorb excess moisture. Depending on how wet your ground turkey is, you may need a little extra. I always find that ground turkey will have different moisture levels depending on where you buy it, so I always need to adjust the breadcrumb amount.
- Chicken broth: I like using a low sodium boxed chicken broth in this recipe. The low-sodium allows me to control the salt level myself.
- Orzo Pasta: A small pasta that makes the soup hearty; you can substitute it with and small pasta shape.
- Don’t overwork the meatballs. Ground turkey is quite lean, so mixing it aggressively can produce firm, rubbery meatballs. Combine the ingredients gently and stop as soon as everything is evenly incorporated. Using lightly wet hands makes it easy to roll the meatballs.
- Adjust the breadcrumbs based on your turkey. Different packages of ground turkey can have noticeably different moisture levels. Start with the recommended amount. If the mixture is too wet to roll into balls, add a little more breadcrumb until it becomes manageable.
- Keep the meatballs small. One-tablespoon meatballs cook quickly and are much easier to eat in a soup than large meatballs. Keeping them similar in size also helps them cook evenly.
- Brown for flavor, not doneness. The meatballs finish cooking in the broth, so you only need to develop some color on the outside during the browning stage. This adds another layer of savory flavor without drying them out.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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