This soup may sound a little unconventional. It may even look a little unconventional, but I promise, it’s delicious!

The combination of turkey meat, red pepper flakes, parmesan, pancetta, and vegetables is a match made in heaven. The original recipe for this soup came from “SkinnyTaste“; an amazing blog that details healthy and nutritious recipes written by Gina Homolka. In typical Rachel fashion, I modified this recipe to take a slightly higher calorie approach, which I’m choosing to refer to as a “comfort food” approach.

This soup is perfect for busy fall and winter weeknights. It’s easy to toss together and works beautifully as leftovers. You can leave it to simmer in a crock pot while you’re at the office then portion and freeze what you do not need for future use.

A piece of advice that I have received (and followed) over the years is to keep the rind from Parmesan cheese when you are done with the block. Wrap it in a piece of paper towel and throw it in the freezer, or keep it in your fridge. Then, toss the rind in homemade marinara sauce or a broth to add a salty, rich depth of flavor to your dishes. Simply remove the rind before serving.

I have always loved this tip and used it to make this soup. If you do not have a rind on hand, try and find a good high-quality parmesan cheese that has one! I promise you won’t regret it.

Turkey Meatball Soup Recipe: 

1.5 Pounds of Cooked Turkey Meatballs (Homemade or Store Bought)
125 Grams of Pancetta
8 Cups of Chicken Broth
1 Small White Onion (Diced)
4 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)
3 Carrots (Peeled and Sliced)
3 Celery Stalks (Sliced)
1 Cup of Kale (Roughly Chopped)
1 Can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Peppercorn
1 Parmesan Cheese Rind
Additional Fresh Parmesan Cheese for Garnish

 Instructions for Turkey Meatball & Parmesan Soup: 

1: In a deep soup pan over medium heat, saute 125 grams of pancetta until it begins to crisp up. Slide your diced white onion, minced garlic, carrots, and celery into the pan, stirring for about 4 minutes.

2: Add your cooked meatballs to the pan, and lightly saute with your vegetables and pancetta. Then, pour in 8 cups of chicken broth, fire roasted diced tomatoes, parmesan cheese rind, kosher salt, red pepper flakes, and freshly ground peppercorn. Stir, and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low, and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.

3: Add chopped kale to your soup, and stir. Cover, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

4: Ladle into a warm bowl and garnish with additional fresh parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!