Turkey Meatball Soup
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The meatballs are the real stars of this turkey meatball soup; you will savor each one. Make a big pot for your family and enjoy it all week (if it lasts that long).
My sister Tanya is a great home cook. She is always discovering something new and delicious and sharing it with us. Tanya showed us how to make this soup. It’s very tasty and healthy too! It’s one of those soups you don’t get tired of.
Ingredients for Turkey Meatball Soup:
10 cups chicken broth or stock
6 cups filtered water
1 cup barley, rinsed and drained
5 medium potatoes, chopped into ½-inch cubes
1-2 medium carrots, grated
1 medium onion, finely diced
½ pound (about 7) mushrooms, sliced
1 can white beans
1 Tbsp Mrs Dash (original or garlic flavored)
2 Tbsp dill
1 tsp salt + more to taste
Olive oil to saute mushrooms
Ingredients for Meatballs:
1 to 1 ½ pounds ground turkey
1 large egg
1 tsp Mrs. Dash
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 medium onion, finely diced
How to Make meatballs:
1. Combine all of the ingredients for meatballs in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Roll the meat into ¾ -inch balls (gumball size) and place on a large cutting board.
Note: We usually buy a 3 lb pack of ground turkey and make double the meatballs to freeze half for next time. But make sure to thaw completely before putting frozen meatballs in the soup.
How to Make Turkey Meatball Soup:
1. In a large pot, combine broth with water and bring it to boil. Add barley and boil for 12 minutes before adding potatoes.
2. While barley is cooking, prep all your vegetables.
3. After 12 minutes passed, add diced potatoes and cook for around 20 more minutes.
4. In a large skillet, heat 1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté onion 4 to 5 minutes until light brown. Next add some carrots, saute for 3 minutes until soft. Add mixture in the soup.
5. In the same skillet, add more olive oil and sauté mushrooms 5 to 6 minutes until soft, than add them in the soup.
6. Add can of beans with juice (don’t drain), 1 Tbsp of Mrs. Dash, following by meatballs and boil for 5 minutes. Meatballs will float to the top.
7. When meatball flow to the top, finish the soup with 2 Tbsp of dill and 1 tsp of salt.
Enjoy 😀
Turkey Meatball Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients for Soup:
- 10 cups chicken broth , or stock
- 6 cups filtered water
- 1 cup barley, rinsed and drained
- 5 medium potatoes, chopped into ½-inch cubes
- 1-2 medium carrots, grated
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- ½ pound mushrooms, (about 7 mushrooms)
- 1 can white beans
- 1 Tbsp Mrs Dash Seasoning, original or garlic flavored
- 2 Tbsp dill
- 1 tsp salt , plus more to taste
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil , to saute mushrooms
Ingredients for Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground turkey, (can use up to 1 1/2 lbs)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp Mrs. Dash
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 medium onion, finely diced
Instructions
How to Make meatballs:
- Combine all of the ingredients for meatballs in a large bowl and mix well.
- Roll the meat into ¾ -inch balls (gumball size) and place on a large cutting board.
How to Make the Soup:
- In a large pot, combine broth with water and bring it to boil. Add barley and boil for 12 minutes before adding potatoes. While barley is cooking, prep all your vegetables.
- After 12 minutes passed, add diced potatoes and cook for around 20 more minutes.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 to 2 Tbsp o olive oil and sauté onion 4 to 5 minutes until light brown. Next add some carrots, saute for 3 minutes until soft. Add mixture in the soup.
- In the same skillet, add more olive oil and sauté mushrooms 5 to 6 minutes until soft, than add them in the soup.
- Add can of beans with juice (don't drain), 1 Tbsp of Mrs. Dash, following by meatballs and boil for 5 minutes. Meatballs will float to the top.
- Finish the soup with 2 Tbsp of dill and 1 tsp of salt.
Enjoy 😀
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Love your recipes Natasha! You inspire me to cook (and you make it so easy)! Question: what do you think of using cauliflower instead of potatoes in this soup? If so, do I reduce cooking time? Thank you so much!!!
Hello Faith, great to hear that you are enjoying my recipes! I honestly haven’t tried using cauliflower to advise so if you do an experiment, we’d love to know how it goes.
I love this soup!! I followed it to a T until the very end when I thought it needed a little acid to balance out all the earthy, warm flavors. I added one tablespoon of red wine vinegar and that was IT!!! I also added a couple punches of red pepper flakes and a couple splashes of half and half so it would remind my husband of Zuppa Toscana in appearance. Both of those additions were nice too. I love this healthy, delicious recipe, and thanks for introducing me to Mrs. Dash!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Rachel! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
For the dill, the receipe does not specify fresh or dried? Is it 2 Tablespoon for fresh or both?
Hi Christine, we love using fresh but dried will work too. The ratio is usually 1 tablespoon fresh dill = 1 teaspoon dried dill.
You mention the seasoning Mrs. Dash, is there a non blend herb or spice that can be used instead?
Oh great question! I just made these the other day with these seasonings for 1 lb of meat and skipped the Mrs Dash seasoning. Here is the seasoning mix I used instead of what is written in the recipe and it worked great:
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Do you think leaving out the mushrooms will disrupt flavour too much? (My kids are in the anti-mushroom stage at the moment).
Hi Anna, we enjoy the mushrooms in this soup, but you are welcome to omit them.
This is very tasty! Love it! I also added crashed garlic in meatballs and in soup ! With bay leaves and parsley in addition to dill. Yummy!
Natasha, please post more soup ideas like this: healthy, yummy and low calories.
Thank you
I’m so glad you liked this recipe, Nataliia! Thank you for that suggestion!
Can I use chicken ground things chicken thighs instead?
Hi Galina, yes absolutely! I think that would work great! I think ground chicken thighs would also work well in my Mom’s meatball soup.
made this soup last week, omg ! soo good. made a big pot, usually would last a week , haven’t last two days. defiantly a keeper ! easy to make , reach flavor ! love it , love it , love it !
That’s just awesome! I’m so happy you liked it! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I made turkey meatballs using your recipe and froze them for later use. In your instructions you specify to thaw the meatballs completely before putting them in the soup. What happens if I put them in the soup while still frozen? Will it turn out ok? I imagine it will take longer to cook. Thank you.
I let them thaw or they release white “stuff.” It’s kind of like when you try to sautee a frozen chicken breast and it releases the white stuff. I’m not sure why this happens but it does and your soup will not look as appetizing. That’s really the only reason I let the meatballs thaw first.
Thank you for responding so fast and saving my soup from disaster! I love your blog and visit it often.
My husband absolutely loved this soup! I skipped the beans and I used the left over meat after making your stuffed peppers. Both were a complete success, even though I am no cook! I don’t know what I would do without your recipes. Thank you Natasha 🙂
Thank you so much for the awesome compliment :). It really means alot to me 🙂
This soup looks delicious! Can I use red beans instead or skip the beans from the recipe or it will effect the flavor too much ?
Anna, you can use different beans or skip them. They should not effect the flavor much :).
Thanks for the recipe. Made this tonight. I love a good soup. one of my fav soups is meatball soup and my husbands is mushroom so this is like a combo of both. lol (I used rice instead of barley and left out beans) cant wait for lunch tomorrow to eat it again lol hahaha
I’m so happy you loved it! It’s one of my favorites too 🙂
I made this soup without white beans, and used more mushrooms and instead of just adding barley by itself, I used a mix of barley, lentil, peas…and it came out pretty good. Thanks Natasha!
Ooh that sounds like one healthy and tasty soup! thanks for sharing your modifications with me. I love getting new ideas!
Natasha, this soup is absolutely delishious! My husband REALY loved it. Even my kids liked it. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us. It’s a keeper for sure!
I’m so happy you all enjoyed it! 🙂 That’s music to my ears 🙂
what happened to the cream of rice in meat mixture? i remember adding it once. did you modify it? How much cream of rice do you add?
I revised it because I thought the texture was a little nicer without it. I had 1/3 cup cream of rice.
Natashka you inspire me to cook I just love your site please keep on coming with the recipes and i love your pictures that makes cooking much more enjoyable and easier..Thank you so much ..:)
Music to my ears. Thanks so much! 😉
Hi Natasha,
My whole family and I love this soup – thank you for sharing this great recipe. More importantly, thank you for taking time to detail all of the steps – I find the pictures extremely helpful and I never considered myself a cook, but this soup come out perfectly delicious every time.
You’re so welcome. It’s also how I love to cook; when there are pictures (lots of pictures). Lots and lots and lots of pictures 😉
I m going to try to make it today. Thanks for the recipe
You are welcome Katya, I just made it yesterday myself :).
My favorite soup! Completed it yesterday and loving it. Thanks!
You are welcome Eugene, your comment is music to my ears :).
Hi Natasha! Your blog is really cool – such a great idea. I’m not Russian (or Slavic at all) – actually am African American, but I love good food just as much as anybody! I found your blog when I was looking for a cake with strawberry filling (I’ve already got a cake recipe and needed a filling for my bf’s bday cake), then I started looking around. The weather is starting to warm up, so I’m not sure when I will make this soup, but I will definitely try it. I’m not a huge fan of dill – which I ate a lot of when I was traveling in Hungary – so I’ll probably substitute that for rosemary or thyme. Still, I’m really excited to try some of your recipes – even if I do end up modifying some of the spices sometimes. Thanks again for posting! You and your blog seem really awesome!! God bless you and your family 🙂
thank you Mia!! Welcome to the blog and I’m so glad you enjoy it 🙂 Thank you for your sweet words and God bless you as well!
Hi Natahsa,
Thank you so much for great recipes. I do have a question about meatballs, I once tried making Firkadeliki from ground beef. They came out so tough and hard. Do you have any suggestion what I could add to make them taste better and not be so though?
Thank you so much.I just recently found your site and I am very happy:) May God bless your family.
You are welcome Alina :). Regarding meatballs with ground beef – what ingredients did you mix in the meat?
Hi Natasha,
I just added salt and paper to ground beef. I also added little water to make it more softer and lighter. But they were still little though.
Beef is a tougher meat; maybe try to cook it for a little less time next time.
Alina your meatballs were tough because you used store bought ground meat. If you have a meat grider try to grind your own meat always and everything will always be soft and juicy. Store ground meat is made dryer on purpose to preseve plus you dont know what meat chunk or scrap was used. doing it yourself you get to choose what piece to use. (grind with onion for extra softness not need for added water)
hi. my meat mix is to jitkiy. i did onion thru meat grinder, can i add flour?
Do you think your onions got too juicy that way? Add some dry bread crumbs.
Natasha, I made this soup today. When you stated barley in your recipe, I used pearl barely. My barely cooked close to 30 minutes before becoming tender. I do not know if you used something else but I just wanted to check with you. Otherwise, what a great recipe! I cannot wait to try it now. Be blessed!
I use pearl barley for this recipe. Because total cooking time is around 30 min, including cooking of the barley for 10-12 min before placing potatoes, works out just fine :).
Could I substitute rice for barley?? or just add rice to the meatballs?
Natasha, hello!
I enjoy your website greatly, thank you for your time and your hard work. I just tried few of your recipes (salads mostly) and they turned out to be a hit. I cannot cook as much as I want to just yet as I have two little ones that won’t let me do anything 😉 On this soup recipe I just have one question. Have you tried to use dried white beans instead of canned ones and how much seasoning do you need to adjust for that? I did some reading on canned food (anything in the metal can, really) and researches found that the metal cans do contain high levels of BPA (bisphenol-A), a chemical that is not desirable for human consumption as it is known for causing all kinds of health problems. Thank you in advance for your time.
It should be pretty similar with seasoning. Maybe add a little extra bouillon and salt to taste.
Thanks a lot, Natasha!
Your are welcome 🙂
Natasha, you have the best recipes ever!! Everything that I have tried so far turned out delicious! I make a soup similar to this one, and instead of barley I put some rice in my meatballs and boil them for about 40 min. You should try to make my version too!
I will give it a try Dina, we always love to try something new :D. Thank you so much for such a nice compliment 😀
Natasha, the last time I made soup with meatballs I had a problem of “penka” – the unpleasant foam that comes from the meat. Your soups are so pretty and clear! Is there any tip you could share to avoid “penka”??? Thank you!
To avoid penka :), wash potatoes after cutting them instead of just throwing them in the pot. Starch tends to make penka. This won’t get rid of it completely but does make a difference. Sometimes I just use a large spoon and remove penka. Hope this helps. 🙂
Great recipe and very easy to follow and make. I was craving my grandmother’s meatball soup so came across this recipe via google. It turned out so well and really brought the feeling of home back for me. Had to omit mushrooms (I cooked this for my friends and one of them really didn’t like it), but still delicious. Had to modify the recipe quite a bit since didn’t have a pot large enough to fit the portion requirements. This took me 40 mins to make (had a friend helping with the chopping and peeling). Thanks for posting!!
You are welcome Julia 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I want to make this soup but I was wondering what do you mean by cream of rice and natures seasonings? are these spices?
Hi 🙂 the cream of rice is next to the cream of wheat at the store. I’ve been making an easier version of this soup without that: https://natashaskitchen.com/2012/06/14/moms-meatball-soup-recipe/ it’s just as tasty but easier. The other ingredient is a seasoning which can be replaced with mrs dash or whatever you prefer.
can you tell me the brand you use for “cream of rice” i checked couple of stores and they didn’t have it.
The brand is “Cream of Rice” it has the same African American chef on the front as the cream of wheat, but the box is a little smaller and it’s orange.
🙂 Thank you. I am excited to try this receipe tonight 🙂
What’s nature seasoning?
You may use mrs dash instead 🙂 or your favorite seasoning
hmm yummy this is one of my favorite soups ever… 🙂
The turkey balls are just made and boiled for 5 mins? Is that enough time for them to cook thoroughly?
Yes, once they float to the top, they are done and by the time you finish seasoning the soup, it ends up a little longer than 5 minutes. But, you can check to see if they are done if you are concerned about them being cooked thoroughly 🙂
What do you mean by the ingredient “cream of rice”? is it soup or a seasoning?
It should be next to the cream of wheat. It’s dry like cream of wheat just made with rice.
Can you use grechka (buckwheat) in this soup instead of barley?
I don’t see why not, just make sure to rinse it thoroughly. I think buckwheat cooks faster so don’t overcook it or it will turn to mush.
Very delicious!!!!
I just made this today too! 🙂 And super healthy too!