I don’t know what I would do without soup – it’s one of my favourite comfort foods! I’m not talking about watery, light, low-calorie soups… I’m talking hearty, satisfying and packed full of flavour soups that make a meal all on their own and warm you up from the inside out. This Turkey & Sage Meatballs & Orzo Soup is just that and it’s so delicious!
Turkey and sage are best friends that always work well together. Just like that sage & onion stuffing you might use for your Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey, sage is the star of these meatballs, bringing everything together with incredible flavour.
You can use any stock you like, but if you have any great homemade chicken stock on hand in your fridge or freezer, it will only make this soup better. If you don’t have that available, don’t worry, but I really suggest making strong stock with the jellied stock pots you can find in the supermarket instead of cubes to get the best possible flavour. Let’s get started!
Ingredients
- 400g turkey mince
- 70g fresh or frozen breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- Zest & juice of 1 lemon
- Small handful sage leaves, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
- 30g of grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 litres homemade or strong chicken stock
- 350g orzo pasta
Method
- Add the turkey mince, egg, bread crumbs, lemon zest, chopped sage, Parmesan cheese and salt & pepper to a large mixing bowl.
- Use your hands to mix everything together until it’s just combined – you don’t want to overwork the meatballs or they’ll be tough. Then roll bits of the meat mixture into small meatballs and set aside on a plate.
- Heat the oil on medium-high heat in a large cast iron casserole or other large, heavy soup pot with a lid. Fry the meatballs until browned and golden. You want to get them a little bit of crispy colour if you can.
- Pour in the lemon juice to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom to get any of the crispy bits up with a wooden spoon.
- Now pour in the stock and increase the heat to high. Bring the stock to a boil.
- Once it’s boiling, pour in the pasta and give it a stir. Once it’s boiling after the pasta has been poured in, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with the lid and cook for 15 minutes, stirring at least once about halfway through.
- The soup is done when the meatballs are cooked through and the pasta is cooked to the desired consistency. Serve hot in a soup bowl.
- Try it with Red Leicester & Sour Cream Scones.
