Turkey Meatball Soup - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Daniela Apostol · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

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Romanian-Style Turkey Meatball Soup with vegetables, a comforting and hearty soup that goes down well with the whole family no matter the season. Our "ciorba de perisoare" is very easy to make with a few simple ingredients, and it's budget-friendly too.

Turkey Meatball Soup - My Gorgeous Recipes (1)

We are a nation of soup lovers; we have soups as a starter with every single lunch or dinner meal. Whether vegan, vegetarian or meat based, soups are ever so popular. We usually make the distinction between "ciorba", which usually has diced vegetables and meat in it.

And "supa", where the vegetables and meat have been removed after cooking and either noodles or semolina dumplings are added to it, making the soup a much lighter an less heavy option. Either way, our soups are fantastic and we can't have enough of them.

This turkey meatball soup is hearty, but light and healthy, and it certainly delivers in terms of taste. The more veggies, the tastier, so do add whatever else you have around.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients used
  • Variations
  • Step-by-step photos and instructions
  • Expert tips
  • Other meatball recipes
  • Turkey Meatball Soup

Ingredients used

Turkey Meatball Soup - My Gorgeous Recipes (2)
  • turkey mince / minced turkey - I prefer turkey thigh mince instead of turkey breast mince as the meatballs are juicier and tastier
  • onions - one is used for the soup, another one for the meatballs
  • carrot - a medium sized carrot, or 2 small ones
  • pepper - I used a red pepper, but yellow, orange or green work too
  • celery stalks
  • tomato paste - adds colour and taste to the soup
  • salt and black pepper - to taste
  • parsley - fresh or dried

Variations

My Romanian meatball soup is made of minced turkey - although pork, beef or chicken are also popular choices, or even a combination of any of these, plus you can add any vegetables you like to make them healthier.

In winter time, pork is the favourite meat, and most of our meat dishes will be prepared using pork.

As for herbs, fresh parsley is my go to, although, if you do have fresh lovage I highly recommend using it, it adds so much flavour to the soup.

Step-by-step photos and instructions

  • peel and chop one onion for the soup, and save the small onion for the meatballs
  • peel and chop the carrot, red pepper and celery stalks
  • in a large pot, add the stock and vegetables, and boil it for 15 minutes until the vegetables being to soften
  • to make the meatballs, add the turkey mince to a bowl together with the egg, finely chopped small onion, salt and pepper
  • mix well to get a mixture
  • shape the mixture into balls, and carefully drop them into the soup
  • leave to cook for a further 15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through
  • add the tomato paste, fresh parsley, season with salt and pepper

Note! The little bits you see forming in the soup are from the egg used, so totally normal. The soup is absolutely delicious, trust me.

Turkey Meatball Soup - My Gorgeous Recipes (3)

Expert tips

Do not add the meatballs straight from the beginning, as the carrots and onion take a lot longer to cook. I prefer cooking the vegetables first, then adding the meatballs to the soup.

The meatball mixture might look a bit sloppy, but that's fine, the meatballs are juicy and they keep their shape very well - the egg is a great binding agent.

Other meatball recipes

Mozzarella-Stuffed Pork Meatballs

Crockpot Meatball Sliders

Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs

Turkey Meatball Curry

Turkey Meatball Soup - My Gorgeous Recipes (4)

If you’ve tried this TURKEY MEATBALL SOUP or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can alsoFOLLOW MEonFACEBOOK, andPINTERESTto see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

Turkey Meatball Soup - My Gorgeous Recipes (5)

Turkey Meatball Soup

Romanian-Style Turkey Meatball Soup with vegetables, a comforting and hearty soup that goes down well with the whole family no matter the season. Our "ciorba de perisoare" is very easy to make with a few simple ingredients, and it's budget-friendly too.

4.41 from 10 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Romanian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 323kcal

Author: Daniela Apostol

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 2 celery stalks
  • ½ red bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 4 cups chicken stock

For the meatballs

  • 500 g mince turkey 1.1 lb
  • 1 small egg
  • ½ small onion
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon black pepper

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

  • To make the soup, peel and chop the onion, carrot, celery stalks and red pepper.

  • Add the stock to a large pot, and cook the vegetables for 15 minutes until they start to soften.

  • To make the meatballs, add the mince turkey to a bowl together with the egg, finely chopped onion, salt and pepper.

  • Mix well to get a nice paste.

  • Use your hands to shape meatballs, then carefully drop them into the soup.

  • Cook for a further 15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through, then add the tomato paste, season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with fresh parsley.

Video

Notes

  • Do not add the meatballs straight from the beginning, as the carrots and onion take a lot longer to cook. I prefer cooking the vegetables first, then adding the meatballs to the soup.
  • The meatball mixture might look a bit sloppy, but that's fine, the meatballs are juicy and they keep their shape very well - the egg is a great binding agent.

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 943mg | Potassium: 778mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3492IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 3mg

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. youthfoodblog

    Turkey Meatball Soup - My Gorgeous Recipes (6)
    Very hearty and tasty!

    Reply

    • Daniela Anderson

      Thank you ?

      Reply

  2. Alina Delicious Romania

    Turkey Meatball Soup - My Gorgeous Recipes (7)
    One of my favorite recipes. I love it with a spoonful of sour cream 🙂

    Reply

  3. Maggie

    Turkey Meatball Soup - My Gorgeous Recipes (8)
    The very best, as in tastiest, soup I have ever had! The meatballs were an additional taste & comfort treat! I cannot rave enough about the flavor of the broth! I have perfect Romanians right next door and when Grandma visits for several months, I am blest as she shares her entree for the day!
    Do you have a published Romanian cookbook I could purchase?
    Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Daniela Apostol

      Hi Maggie! I am glad you enjoyed the soup. I am afraid I do not have a cookbook of my own, all the Romanian recipes I publish are family recipes that my mum has cooked for us over the years.

      Reply

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Turkey Meatball Soup - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep meatballs from falling apart in soup? ›

Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much. Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder.

Should you brown meatballs before adding to soup? ›

I sauté them in a hot pan for only a couple of minutes on each side to get a nice crust and tons of flavor. Sautéing them helps them keep their shape better so they don't fall apart when I finish cooking them in the soup. When you cook meatballs in a soup broth it makes them super tender and also flavors the broth.

What is the secret to making tender meatballs? ›

Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk. “The soaked breadcrumbs help keep the proteins in the meat from shrinking,” as food writer Tara Holland explained in the Kitchn.

Why are my turkey meatballs rubbery? ›

Meatballs get tough when they are overmixed. The mixing of meat causes the myosin in the muscles to form protein strands. These act like gluten in bread dough, trapping liquid and firming the texture. You want to mix the meatballs until the meat just starts to seem a little fibrous.

How do you keep turkey meatballs from falling apart? ›

Simmer the meatballs gently in the sauce.

When adding them to the sauce, make sure the sauce is just gently simmering. This way the meatballs won't fall apart in the sauce and they'll have a chance to soak up some of the sauce's flavorful juices.

Why are my turkey meatballs so dry? ›

Lean meats, like ground turkey or very lean ground beef, can result in drier meatballs. Consider using a mix of lean and fattier meats, like a blend of ground beef with some ground pork or veal, for juicier meatballs. 2. **Overmixing**: Overmixing the meat mixture can lead to tough meatballs.

How do you keep meatballs from sticking together? ›

Freezing the meatballs in a single layer first means that they won't stick together once frozen. This means you can take out only what you need, which is helpful if you're freezing more than one batch at a time. Place meatballs in a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper and put in the freezer.

Do meatballs get softer the longer you cook them? ›

Tenderizing the Meat:

As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.

How long should I simmer meatballs in sauce? ›

Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat back down to a light simmer. Add the meatballs and toss them with the sauce. Cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes.

What makes meatballs soft and tender? ›

Every element in this recipe helps to build a flavorful and moist meatball, but what makes them exceptionally juicy is the panade (breadcrumb and water mixture). This simple, homemade mixture really creates a tender texture all the way through. The moist breadcrumbs also help these reheat really well.

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