My easy turkey meatball soup is loaded with vegetables, packed with protein, and the kind of cozy one-pot dinner that gets even better as leftovers. Ground turkey meatballs go right in and cook directly in the broth, no browning required. Works on the stovetop or in the slow cooker, too!

A white bowl filled with mini meatballs and a brothy vegetable soup topped with lemon slices.

5 star review

“Love this one. Been making it for years! I made it tonight for dinner and meal prep. 👩‍🍳💋”

– Mary
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You’ve Gotta Try My Easy One-Pot Turkey Meatball & Vegetable Soup

Let’s talk about this yummy soup, shall we? Ground turkey gets mixed with Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and garlic, rolled into small meatballs, and dropped straight into the broth raw, no browning or frying required. They cook directly in the soup and come out so juicy and flavorful!

The vegetable situation is also so good. Carrots, celery, zucchini, diced tomatoes, and spinach all make a little veggie party, which means this is genuinely a complete meal in one pot without needing to think about sides. The spinach + lemon juice at the end are the two details that make this taste like truly something.

This one works on the stovetop in about 30 minutes or in the slow cooker if you need to set it and walk away for the day, which makes it equally useful on a busy weeknight and a Sunday when you want meal prep handled before noon. It reheats beautifully all week and the flavor genuinely gets better as it sits. Make a big batch, store it in the fridge, and lunches and dinners are covered. Future you will be so grateful. And if you’re already in soup mode, my easy chicken vegetable soup is the next thing worth adding to the rotation.

Chopped vegetables, salt, pepper, canned tomatoes, and mini meatballs in a large slow cooker.

Testing Notes from My Kitchen to Yours

  • Don’t skip grating the onion for the meatballs instead of chopping it, grated onion incorporates into the mixture and keeps the meatballs moist in a way that chopped onion just doesn’t.
  • I’ve tried both browning the meatballs first and dropping them in raw, and raw wins for ease without sacrificing anything, they cook through completely in the broth and you save a pan and about 15 minutes of active time.
  • Don’t skip the lemon juice at the end, it sounds like a small thing but it brightens the entire pot and makes the difference between a soup that tastes flat and one that tastes finished!
  • I tested this in both the slow cooker and on the stovetop and both work beautifully, use the slow cooker when you need to set it and walk away and the stovetop when you need dinner in under an hour.
Meatball and vegetable soup with a light broth in a white bowl with a spoon topped with cooked herbs and lemon slices.
5 stars (18 ratings)

Turkey Meatball Vegetable Soup (Slow Cooker or Stovetop!)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 6
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
My easy turkey meatball soup is loaded with vegetables, packed with protein, and the kind of cozy one-pot dinner that gets even better as leftovers. Ground turkey meatballs go right in the and cook directly in the broth, no browning required. Works on the stovetop or in the slow cooker, too!
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Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • ½ cup onion, grated (from about 1 medium yellow onion)
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoons granulated garlic
  • ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 pounds ground dark meat turkey

For the Soup

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 2 cups carrots, chopped
  • 2 cups celery, chopped
  • 2 cups zucchini, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon salt-free Italian seasoning
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 1 (15-ounce can) petite diced tomatoes

To Add at the End

  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 1 lemon, juiced

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Make the Meatballs: Combine the grated onion, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt, granulated garlic, breadcrumbs, and turkey in a medium bowl. Stir until well combined, being careful not to over-mix. Form into small meatballs, about 1 teaspoon each. The mixture will be stick, so wet your hands in between rolling if necessary.

Stovetop

  • Cook the Onion: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt and cook until soft, about 5-8 minutes.
  • Cook the Veggies: Add the carrots, celery, zucchini, Italian seasoning, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Add the Liquids & Meatballs: Add the stock, diced tomatoes, meatballs and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  • Simmer: Simmer covered, for 25-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and meatballs are cooked through.
  • Finish: Uncover, add the spinach, and cook on low for 5 more minutes, or until the spinach is wilted. Add the lemon juice, stirring to combine. Taste and add additional salt if desired.

Slow Cooker

  • Add Veggies & Liquids to the Slow Cooker: Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, Italian seasoning, and 1 ½ teaspoons of salt to a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to combine.
  • Add the Meatballs: Add the meatballs, pressing gently to submerge in the liquid. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours, or low for 6-8, or until the vegetables and meatballs are cooked through.
  • Finish: Uncover, add the spinach, and cook on high for 5 more minutes, or until the spinach is wilted. Add the lemon juice, stirring to combine. Taste and add additional salt if desired.

Notes

  • Gluten-Free: Use almond flour, gf oat flour, or gf breadcrumbs for the breadcrumbs.
  • Dairy-Free: Use nutritional yeast in place of the Parmesan cheese.
  • Updated: I updated this recipe to use breadcrumbs and cheese (easier to find, more affordable ingredients), but feel free to use the gf and df swaps from the original version.
  • Instant Pot: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in an electric pressure cooker set to saute. Add the onion and pinch of salt and cook for 8 minutes, or until soft. Add the veggies, stock, tomatoes, salt and meatballs. Secure the lid, select the manual setting, and set it to high pressure for 10 minutes. When the pressure cooker timer is done, quick release the pressure. Add the spinach and lemon juice, and serve.
Course: dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 6), Calories: 364kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 118mg, Sodium: 853mg, Potassium: 1007mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 9380IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 143mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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