Description
This Healthy Italian Wedding Soup features tender turkey meatballs nestled in a flavorful broth brimming with fresh vegetables and herbs. Perfect for a comforting, nutritious meal, this recipe offers versatile cooking options including stovetop, crockpot, or instant pot methods. The addition of spinach and zucchini noodles or your choice of pasta makes it both satisfying and wholesome, ideal for a balanced diet.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
For the Soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 2 cups carrots, sliced into small circles
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 64 oz chicken stock (2 quarts)
- 2 cups spinach, chopped (added at the end)
- 2 cups zucchini noodles, rice, or pasta, chopped (served with soup)
Instructions
- Prepare Meatballs: Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). In a mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, chopped spinach, coconut flour, egg, parsley, basil, black pepper, olive oil, and finely chopped garlic until well blended. Using a spoon or your hands, form small 1/4 inch round meatballs. Place them onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet, spacing them close but not touching since they don’t spread much. Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown on top.
- Sauté Vegetables (Stovetop or Pre-cook for Crockpot/Instant Pot): While the meatballs bake, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions start to soften and vegetables are fragrant. If using crockpot, this step is optional but recommended before transferring vegetables to the crockpot base. If using instant pot, use the sauté function for this step.
- Simmer Soup (Stovetop): Add cooked meatballs, rosemary, bay leaves, black pepper, red pepper flakes (if using), and chicken stock to the pot with vegetables. Bring to a boil then simmer on high for 30 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
- Cook Soup (Crockpot): Transfer sautéed vegetables to the crockpot base. Add baked meatballs, rosemary, bay leaves, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and chicken stock. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
- Pressure Cook Soup (Instant Pot): Add sautéed vegetables, baked meatballs, rosemary, bay leaves, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and chicken stock to the instant pot. Seal the lid, set to pressure cook for 7 minutes. After cooking, let natural pressure release for 20 minutes before quick releasing any remaining pressure.
- Finish and Serve: Once the soup is cooked using any method, stir in the chopped spinach last to maintain freshness and color. Serve the soup hot over zucchini noodles, rice, or pasta of your choice for a complete meal.
Notes
- Using ground turkey keeps meatballs lean and healthy.
- Coconut flour helps bind the meatballs and adds fiber.
- Don’t add spinach and zucchini noodles to the cooking pot to avoid overcooking; add them fresh at the end.
- You can substitute zucchini noodles with rice or your favorite pasta.
- Adjust red pepper flakes according to your spice preference; it is optional.
- For crockpot and instant pot methods, sautéing vegetables beforehand enhances flavor but can be skipped if short on time.
- Meatballs can be made slightly bigger if preferred, but small meatballs cook more evenly and are traditional.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes stovetop (plus 10 minutes baking meatballs); 6-8 hours low crockpot; 7 minutes pressure cook plus 30 minutes total with pressure release in instant pot
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Italian Wedding Soup, Healthy Soup, Turkey Meatballs, Low Fat Soup, Easy Soup Recipe, Spinach Soup, Zucchini Noodles Soup, Comfort Food
