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This Kale Meatball Soup is an easy family meal that’s nutritious and delicious and ready in 30 minutes. Made with tender turkey meatballs and paired with hearty sweetpotatoes, butternut squash and warm spices, every bite is packed with comforting, delicious flavor.

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Soup is one of my favorite parts of my dinner repertoire as a parent, and this turkey meatball soup with kale is no exception.

Not only is it a great way to use old or wilted produce (add those veggies in!), it’s full of flavor, easy to personalize, and great to freeze for later – definitely worth getting some souper cubes for that reason!

So many reasons to love a good soup – whether it’s a butternut squash and chicken soup, pumpkin sweetpotato soup or Instant pot tortellini soup, warm soups are full of flavor and nutrition!

And if you haven’t warmed up to kale yet, this turkey meatball soup with kale is a great intro. I say that with experience – my husband is not a kale lover, but will happily eat bowls of this meatball kale soup.

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My kids tend to enjoy meatballs (they can be fun and tasty), probably because I served them when they were starting baby-led weaning. Some of our other favorites aside from these turkey meatballs are ground chicken meatballs, bison meatballs and even quinoa pizza bites.

Adding meatballs to this turkey meatball soup is a great way to emphasize their flavors and re-use those versatile meatballs in a new way.

Why Our House Loves This Kale Meatball Soup Recipe

• Warm and nourishing – There’s nothing better for a rainy day or cold winter day than a nourishing meatball kale soup, if you ask me. his turkey meatball kale soup has warm broth, electrolytes, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, protein, iron, zinc and more. A few of my favorite ingredients to support our immune system.
• Family-friendly – Soup is such a family favorite in our house – a great family meal for kids. It’s warm, tasty, and pairs well with crusty bread and chips. Even kids can serve themselves. This kale and meatball soup is a winner on all accounts!
• Great way to serve veggies – I call this a hidden veggie recipe because you’d never know we snuck sweetpotatoes into the meatballs here. And the kale melts into the hot broth, so it’s not very noticeable. Such a great way to serve vegetables to toddlers, and even picky adults.
• Balanced meal – A nice one pot balanced meal for the win!
• Great for meal prep – To me, soups and chilis are some of the best recipes for meal prep. They maintain their flavor for days, and sometimes even take on more flavor as they sit, plus they are easy to freeze for later! Whether you’re doing meal prep for baby or postpartum freezer meals, a meatball soup with kale is a nourishing option to have on hand.

Gather Your Ingredients

• meatballs – You can use frozen turkey meatballs, or make your own turkey meatballs. I prefer making mine with sweetpotatoes and ground turkey, like in my favorite baby turkey meatballs. It doesn’t matter what fat content the turkey has; however, a lower fat will likely be less flavorful.
• onion – I used a yellow onion, but a white onion would also work.
• butternut squash – I like to buy the pre-cut option to save time (and my fingers!) dicing. You can also use frozen diced butternut squash too.
• chicken stock – If you want to reduce the sodium, opt for a lower sodium option. Beef stock, vegetable stock, or bone broth are other options.
• can of diced tomatoes – Again, opt for low-sodium to reduce the overall sodium in this recipe.
• bunch of kale leaves – You’ll just want to rinse them and remove them from the stalk.
• spices and seasoning – My favorite combination is garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes
• Parmesan cheese – I love sprinkling parmesan cheese on top of my warm kale turkey meatball soup!
• crusty bread – A good sourdough, french baguette, pita bread or naan bread all work well.

How to Make Turkey Meatball Soup with Kale

First, make your sweetpotato turkey meatballs. I usually have them pre-made and frozen, so I throw those in later. If you’re cooking them from raw, you’ll just add them earlier (after forming into meatballs) to allow more time to cook.

Then, start chopping your onion and butternut squash (if not pre-chopped). Rinse your kale and remove it from the stalk. I use a salad spinner after rinsing to help remove excess moisture from the kale.

In a medium saucepan, add your olive oil and cook your onions and butternut squash over medium high heat.

Then, you’ll add your diced tomatoes and spices and bring to a boil. Add your meatballs (pre-cooked or raw) and bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through.

Lastly, you’ll add in your kale for the last few minutes to let it wilt. Let it cool slightly before serving with your favorite bread. I love a crusty, rustic bread, a good sourdough, or even a soft naan bread.

Storage

Once your soup cools, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Beyond that, you can freeze it in a tupperware freezer container or souper cubes for freezing soups into realistic portions.

It’s great as a freezer meals for new moms!

Try These Other Recipes

• Sweetpotato Turkey Burgers
• Barley Lentil Vegetable Soup
• Chicken and sweet potato chili
• Lemon pepper baked chicken tenders
• Sweet potato white bean soup

Servings 6 servings

Kale Meatball Soup

Sarah Schlichter, MPH, RDN

This Kale Meatball Soup is an easy family meal that's nutritious and delicious and ready in 30 minutes. Made with tender turkey meatballs and paired with hearty sweetpotatoes, butternut squash and warm spices, every bite is packed with comforting, delicious flavor.

5 from 1 rating

Print Pin

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb butternut squash, diced
• 6 cups chicken stock or bone broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 24 Sweetpotato Turkey Meatballs, cooked*
• 3 bunches of kale leaves
• Parmesan cheese, for serving
• crusty bread, for serving

Instructions 

1. In a medium pan, sautee onion in olive oil over medium high heat. Add butternut squash to pan and cook until softened (4-6 minutes).
2. Add in chicken stock, diced tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes.
3. Add in meatballs (If raw, allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through). If pre-cooked, cook for 5-10 minutes to warm to soup temperature. Bring to a boil and then simmer.
4. After meatballs have cooked, add in bunches of kale and stir until they wilt down.
5. Top with parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread!
   
   

Notes

* You can also use frozen meatballs or make your own meatballs. To make sweetpotato turkey meatballs, mix 1 lb ground turkey, 2 eggs, ¾ cup choice of flour, 1 cup mashed sweetpotato, and spices of your choosing.

I prefer to buy pre-cut butternut squash in a large container. You can also use frozen butternut squash cubes, or chop your own.

Equipment

Chicken Bone Broth Soup by Kettle and Fire, Pack of 6, Keto Diet, Paleo Friendly, Whole 30 Approved, Gluten Free, with Collagen, 10g of protein, 16.9 Ounce (Pack of 6)

Pompeian Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 68 Ounce

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 633kcalCarbohydrates: 123gProtein: 20gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 1018mgFiber: 21gSugar: 38g

Did you make this recipe?Let us know how it was!