Turkey Meatball Soup (with Feta and Orzo)

Turkey meatball orzo soup in a bowl garnished with fresh dill and parsley.

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Turkey Meatball Soup (with Feta and Orzo)

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.

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Total Time55

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: Servings

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $25

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 tbsp Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
1 tbsp Fresh dill (finely chopped)
1 tsp Dried oregano
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp Black pepper

For the Soup

2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 Medium yellow onion (finely diced)
1 Carrot (diced)
2 Celery stalks (diced)
3 Garlic cloves (minced)
½ tsp 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 tbsp 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

Key Ingredient 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.

Tips for Success:

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.

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