Recipe | Turkey Meatball + Kale Stew

If you know me, then you know I love soups and stews. They’re healthy, filling and just a great comfort food on cold days. I adapted this meal from a recipe that I found  on Gina’s blog  a while ago (she has some other great recipes, too!) and both J and I love it so much that we’ve been putting it on our meal plan every single week for a few weeks now. We just don’t get tired of it.

We tweaked the original recipe a little bit to our liking, but love the overall compsition of this: different vegetables, potatoes, and the meatballs are a great addition (because J often doesn’t feel full when it’s ‘just soup’).  Me, I just love the taste of a long-simmered broth. Both J and I really like the kale in this stew, too.

Turkey Meatballs
  1. 1 lbs. organic ground turkey
  2. 1 Tbs. 21 seasoning salute
  3. 1 Tbs. thyme
  4. 1/2 cup of bread crumbs (optional)
Soup
  1. 1 Tbs. butter
  2. 1 yellow onion, chopped
  3. 1 bunch of celery, chopped
  4. 5 medium carrots, chopped
  5. 8-10 small dutch potatoes, chopped
  6. 8oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
  7. salt and pepper, to taste
  8. 6 cups of vegetable broth
  9. 2 cups water
  10. 1 bunch of kale, ribs removed and chopped
  11. 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (or concentrate)
  12. Maggi to taste *
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey with the seasoning and bread crumbs. Using clean hands, mix it together until the spices and herbs are evenly distributed throughout. Form the ground meat into roughly 20 meatballs and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
  3. While the meatballs are baking, start the base of your soup by heating up the butter in a dutch oven (or big pot) over medium heat. Saute the onions until they are soft and fragrant.
  4. Add in the celery, carrots, potatoes and mushrooms. Salt the mixture well. Stir together and allow to cook down for a few minutes.
  5. Add in the vegetable stock and water to cover the vegetables. Place your cooked meatballs into the pot of soup and nestle them in there until they are sitting covered by broth.
  6. Allow the soup to come to a boil and then reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer for about 25 minutes.
  7. Add in the chopped kale and lemon juice and simmer for another 5 minutes. The kale will cook quickly. Taste again to adjust seasoning as needed.

I urge you to definitely give this soup a go (and then report back, if you’re also loving it as much as we do!)


* Maggi is a staple in German kitchens and my Mom uses it for soups and other dishes all the time. You can find it at World Market and in international grocery stores.

  1. Oh, Maggi! One of my staples too! I have found it in the Hispanic aisle at Safeway as well for a much lower price. I’d recommend checking yours out. I wouldn’t be surprised if they carry it as well.

    1. Oh, thanks for the tip! I’ll check it out!

  2. This looks incredible! And also incredibly healthy :) It came at a perfect time too since my husband and I are deciding what to eat for dinner!

    1. It’s so good! I hope you’ll like it!

  3. This sounds and looks delicious. My husband isn’t a fan of turkey meatballs or kale, but I might whip this up some weekend when he’s out of town for business! (I always make things he’d hate when he’s not home. Lol.)

    1. Ha! I guess you could substitute the turkey with beef and leave out the kale, too? This recipe is so easy to tweak!

  4. This sounds really yummy, especially with the meatballs. I’ve never tried Kale in soup. Is it bitter at all? I’ll have to look for those spices too. Thanks for the heads up on where to find them.

    1. I love the kale in the soup. It’s not bitter. The 21 seasoning salute is a spice blend from Trader Joe’s. I love it.

      Thanks for stopping by!

  5. Oh San, I looooove soup/stew! I was just wondering if I’ve ever seen ground turkey anywhere in Germany… don’t think so but I guess I can always use beef instead.
    Happy Friday
    Tobia

    1. I was wondering the same thing… I think I’ve never seen ground turkey/chicken in Germany.

  6. This looks wonderful! I looooove soups and stews so will have to try this recipe!

    1. Let me know if you love it as much as I do :)

  7. Mmh, this looks so good! I love soups and stews and I have to admit I love Maggi! Thanks for the recipe! Will definitely try this!

    1. Let me know how you like it :)

  8. San, this looks AWESOME. I’m totally making this next week.

    1. I hope you like it. We can’t get enough of it right now ;)

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