Double comfort with cheese on top
This recipe is a comfort food two-fer – a warming soup, packed with golf ball-sized meatballs floating in a nourishing broth. Steamy soup with bobbing meatballs couldn’t be more comforting, right? Well, try adding heaps of shredded cheese to the mix, and then you should simply call it a day, put on your pajamas, and grab a spoon.
This recipe is inspired by Italian Wedding Soup, a classic Italian-American vegetable and meatball soup (the term “wedding” refers to the marriage of its ingredients, not the celebration of a romantic union). The meatballs are traditionally made with beef or pork, which mingle with humble aromatics and greens in chicken stock. For extra substance, pasta may be included in the soup.
This recipe also invites iterations. The meatballs can be made of chicken, turkey, beef, or pork. I’ve omitted the pasta and amped up the flavor of the broth and meatballs with copious amounts of cheese. While Parmesan is a popular go-to, the salty sharpness of Pecorino Romano adds oomph and flavor to the meatballs. A hunk of cheese rind is also added to the broth (which is a humble and effective no-waste technique to build flavor and body) accentuating the cheesy-umami richness of the meatballs.
Feel free to use this recipe as a template and make your own modifications depending on what you have in your fridge. For instance, if you have some post-Thanksgiving turkey stock use that for the base of the soup. Or switch out the ground turkey for ground chicken to make the meatballs. If you would like to add some pasta, try orzo or a small tubular pasta, such as ditalini, and note that you may need to add more stock, since the pasta will absorb some liquid as it cooks. If you don’t have homemade stock on hand, a good quality chicken stock will easily stand in for a quick weeknight dinner.
Cheesy Turkey Meatball Soup
Serves: 4 to 5, makes about 16 meatballs
Active time: 45 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes, plus chilling time
Meatballs:
1 pound ground turkey (or chicken)
1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup packed finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Soup:
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
1 celery stalk, diced
Kosher salt
5 to 6 cups chicken stock
1 (2-inch) chunk Parmesan rind
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups spinach leaves or coarsely chopped kale leaves
Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
1. Combine the meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix to blend. Form into 1-inch meatballs, flatten slightly, and place on a plate. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a deep skillet or soup pot. Add the meatballs in one layer without overcrowding, in batches if necessary. Brown on both sides, turning when they release easily from the pan, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. (They will finish cooking in the soup.)
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt to the skillet and sauté until the vegetables are bright and tender, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring up any brown bits. Add the stock, cheese, bay leaf, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Partially cover the pot and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add the meatballs and continue to cook until the meatballs are fully cooked, 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in the greens and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired. Ladle into bowls and serve with the cheese for sprinkling.