Middle Eastern-inspired, spicy, tender turkey meatballs seasoned with spices like cumin, paprika, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and onions with shredded kale, simmering in a lemon chicken broth and toasted crunchy pine nuts for a delicious turkey meatball kale soup.
Straightforward Soup Recipe
It's time to change your soup routine with this Middle Eastern flair! This Easy and Healthy Spicy Turkey Meatball Kale Soup features tender meatballs seasoned with a flavorful yet simple shawarma spice blend and simmered in a layered lemon chicken broth.
Imagine the warmth of cumin, paprika, and a touch of jalapeno mingling with the bright citrus notes, all balanced by the nutritious benefits of leafy green kale and the crunchy delight of toasted pine nuts. Definitely, it's perfect for busy weeknights or cozy weekend suppers. Picture doing this recipe for meal prep.
This straightforward soup recipe requires minimal effort and delivers maximum satisfaction - a true gem for flavor lovers! Get ready to partake in a whole new level of soup deliciousness!
For More Healthy Recipes, Try These Below:
- Mouthwatering Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Pine Nuts Turkey Meatballs
- Turkey Meatball Wraps
- Vegetarian Ras El Hanout White Bean and Kale Soup
- Chicken Meatballs and Israeli Couscous Vegetable Soup
- Pumpkin Gnocchi Chicken Soup
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Ingredients
To begin with, toast the pine nuts to release their nutty flavor. Next, chop the garlic cloves, onion, and jalapeno in chunks to blend with fresh parsley.
Then, make the meatballs by combining the aromatic paste with ground turkey, a large egg, panko breadcrumbs, olive oil, some pine nuts, kosher salt, ground black pepper, shawarma spice blend, and some fresh lemon juice and air fry.
While those cook, make the soup by cooking the remaining aromatic paste with salt and pepper. Next, add the low-sodium chicken broth and simmer. Finish the soup by adding the cooked meatballs and seasoning the warm broth with lemon juice, zest, and salt.
Finally, bowl the soup up and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts.
See the turkey meatball soup recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the instructions and cooking tips below using the step-by-step picture guide.
Toasting the pine nuts helps release their oil to give the soup a more nutty flavor.
Layers of flavors are created by using fresh and dried spices in the turkey meatball meat mixture.
Shape your meatballs ahead of time to easily cook in the air fryer or directly in the pot. In addition, uniform size meatballs equal uniform cooking.
A good soup base always starts with aromatics to build flavor.
Sweating the aromatics helps remove the raw taste of the garlic and sweeten the onions.
Steady simmer the sauce, and do not boil; you want the ingredients to cook through evenly.
Air-frying the meatballs helps sear and brown them, giving them extra flavor.
Simmering the meatballs in the broth allows all the ingredients to meld.
Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. In addition, some related detailed steps can be found there.
Learn cooking hacks like preparing herbs with a salad spinner! Also, check out other techniques for prepping herbs and the benefits of zesting.
Substitutions
Dairy Free
- This easy soup recipe is already dairy-free.
Gluten-Free
- Panko Bread Crumbs - Try gluten-free panko, such as Aleia's Gluteen Free Real Panko or Kikkoman's Gluten-Free Panko Style Coating.
Vegetarian
- Ground Turkey - Use crumbled extra-firm tofu.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth - Try low-sodium vegetable broth.
Convenience
- Shawarma Spice Blend - Don't have it? Try combining a mixture mainly of cumin and paprika. Add some cinnamon, coriander, and turmeric with a hint of clove, cardamom, sumac, cayenne pepper, and ginger.
- Jalapeno - Use red pepper flakes instead.
Change Heat Level - Modify the recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.
Variations
- White Beans - Make this soup more hearty with your favorite beans, such as cannellini beans.
- Cheesy - Top this soup with fresh, grated parmesan cheese.
- Chicken Meatballs - Instead of lean ground turkey meat, use ground chicken.
- Or Beef - If you are just a beef person, keep it closer to the healthier sound by using lean ground beef with bone broth.
- Pasta - Close to the end of the soup's completion, finish it with one cup of orzo pasta for every four servings.
- Other Greens - If you make this soup between the late summer and fall, use Swiss chard for a delightful twist.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven - A heavy-bottom pot to make the soup. If you do not have an air fryer, you can also cook the meatballs in a large pot for a true one-pot meal. I developed this recipe using the Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
- Food Processor - To conveniently chop the aromatics for both the soup base and hearty turkey meatballs. In the tutorials, you will see that I used the KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper.
- Air Fryer - Used for quickly searing and cooking the meatballs before adding them to the soup. As mentioned before, if you do not have an air fryer, brown and cook the meatballs straight in a large pot or large frying pan, or use your oven by placing them on a sheet pan with or without a wire rack at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 minutes.
- Medium Scoop - This is great if you are great at scooping by eye! But for convenience, you can use a portion scooper, like the ones from Tuilful that come in three; I used the medium-sized scooper.
Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.
Storage
- Refrigerator - To store the soup in the fridge, place it in a shallow 2-inch container to cool it down quickly. Then, store it in an airtight container. As a result, the meal will last up to four days.
- Freezer - Follow the refrigeration process mentioned above. Then, place it in a labeled, airtight container or resealable freezer bag in the freezer.
Air Tight Food Containers - I use Glass Food Storage Containers with a plastic clipping lid to store food. For example, I always suggest glass storage containers since you can microwave them and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps them at a more stable temperature, which keeps the food fresher longer.
Cooking Tip
Pre-Cooked Meatballs - For fluffy meatballs in soup, pre-cook them before adding them to the simmering broth to prevent overcooking and mushiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Shawarma spice blend is a vibrant mix of warming spices commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine. Think cumin, paprika, and garlic for earthy depth, plus hints of cinnamon, cloves, and allspice for a touch of sweet warmth.
It adds complex flavor to meat dishes like shawarma wraps but also shines in unexpected places like this delicious soup!
Finding the spice blend is easy! Most major grocery stores in the US stock it in their ethnic or international aisles. Look for "shawarma spice blend" jars from brands like McCormick, Penzeys, or Frontier Spices.
Alternatively, many online retailers like Amazon or World Market offer a wider selection of shawarma blends directly to your door. I personally use the blend from the Spice House.
Globally- Inspired Soup Recipes
Looking for other soup recipes like this? Try these:
- Best Fragrant Creamy Potato Coconut Curry Fish Soup
- Vegetarian Smoky Chipotle Chorizo and Bean Stew
- Easy Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage Soup with Farro
- Easy Spicy Calabrian Pepper Tomato Chicken Chowder
Turkey Recipes
Looking for other turkey recipes like this? Try these:
- Curried Ground Turkey, Vegetables & Olives
- Loaded Cheesy Ground Turkey Red Lentil Pasta
- Curry Lentil Turkey Stew
- Spicy Red Bean Stew with Dumplings and Smoked Turkey
Video
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📖 Recipe
Easy and Healthy Spicy Turkey Meatball Kale Soup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 medium onion
- 1 jalapeno
- 2 cups packed parsley leaves
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 whole large egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Shawarma spice blend
- 2 lemons juiced and zested
- 3 cups kale shredded
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Equipment
Instructions
- Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
- Prepare the Pine Nuts: Heat a Dutch oven on low-medium heat with pine nuts, toast them, and set aside. Note: Dutch ovens carry heat very well; do not let the nuts stay in the pot after toasting. They will burn.
- Make the Aromatic Paste: Cut the garlic, onion, and jalapeno into large chunks and blend them with the parsley in the food processor.
- Make the Meatballs: Add half of the paste into a bowl with the ground turkey, egg, panko, two tablespoons of olive oil, half of the pine nuts, kosher salt, ground black pepper, Shawarma blend, and one tablespoon of the lemon juice. Combine well.
- Set the Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees Fahrenheit with a cooking time of 10 minutes.
- Cook the Meatballs: While the air fryer is heating, form the meatballs using a medium scoop. One recipe yields 14 to 15 balls. Then, cook the meatballs in the air fryer. While the meatballs cook, make the soup base.
- Make the Soup Base: Heat the remaining oil in the Dutch oven on medium heat. Sweat the rest of the aromatic paste with salt and pepper while stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Add the greens and saute for 1 minute.
- Add the broth, cover, and increase the heat to bring it to a simmer; it takes about 8 minutes.
- Finish the Soup: While waiting for the soup to simmer, chop extra parsley for garnish and set aside. Reduce the heat, and carefully add the meatballs to the soup. Cover and simmer for another 3 minutes. Then, season with the remaining lemon juice and zest, and taste for salt. It should have a lemony taste. When eating with the meatballs, it will mellow out.
- Serve with chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts.
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Cook turkey to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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