Summer Minestrone with Turkey Meatballs

Contents

Summer Minestrone with Turkey Meatballs
Featured Comment
TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH TURKEY MEATBALLS: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions

A hearty, freezer-friendly soup chockfull of fresh garden vegetables. A classic summertime dinner!

Featured Comment

Tried this tonight with some very minor substitutions and the entire family enjoyed it very much! This includes 3 teenagers! Very tasty summer soup and will definitely be included in our rotation from now on. Thank you very much.

Melanie

128 more comments

I know. Soup in the summertime? Have I gone mad? Well, maybe but I find that there’s something even more cozy about soup this time of year.

You know, as you drip sweat in the 98 degree summer heat and humidity. But don’t worry. We’re using up all of our favorite garden vegetables/staples here with homemade turkey meatballs. It’s pure summer comfort in a bowl with the tender simmering veggies and the refreshing lemon kick in every single bite.

And this soup is very freezer-friendly for your summer needs all year long. But I recommend cooking your veggies slightly firm so they can hold up during freezing and reheating.

TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE

Dutch oven

SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH TURKEY MEATBALLS: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do I have to use ground turkey?

Not at all! Ground pork or ground beef can be used instead of ground turkey.

What is Panko?

Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb and can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.

Is this freezer-friendly?

Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the pasta (or else they will get mushy) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding freshly cooked pasta when serving.

Recipe

Yield: 6 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 sweet onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 rib celery, diced

½ teaspoon dried thyme

8 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

¾ cup ditalini pasta

2 medium zucchini, halved and sliced

3 cups baby spinach

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 pound ground turkey breast

⅓ cup Panko

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, Panko, Parmesan, garlic, basil, and red pepper flakes, if using; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 3/4-to-1-inch meatballs, forming about 30-32 meatballs.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add meatballs, in batches, and cook until all sides are browned, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the stockpot. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Whisk in chicken stock and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Stir in pasta and meatballs; reduce heat and simmer until pasta is tender and meatballs are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
5. Stir in zucchini and spinach until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes.
6. Stir in lemon juice and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
7. Serve immediately.