A delicious, easy one pot meal!
It makes a lot, which makes it perfect to make ahead and freeze in portions for lunch or dinner for the month.
This recipe is one from the archives, I re-made it this week and thought I would re-photograph it and give it a face-lift. My teen loves this soup, so I make it often just for her. When she was younger I used to pack this in her thermos to bring to school as a hot lunch.
The name "Italian Wedding Soup" as a reference to the "marriage" of greens and meat in the soup. A favorite in my house, this lightened up version is delicious and satisfying. If you want to keep it low-carb you can leave the pasta out.
My toddler will eat it without the greens. If you can't find escarole, any dark leafy green would be great. Serve this with a good quality grated cheese on the side!
Escarole Soup with Turkey Meatballs
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 8 • Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 167 • Fat: 3 g • Protein: 22 g • Carb: 12 g • Fiber: 2.5 g • Sugar: 0.5 g
Sodium: 647.6 mg
Ingredients:
For the Meatballs:
- 20 oz (1.3 lb) ground turkey breast 99% lean
- 1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 cups fat-free low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (16 oz) head escarole, chopped
- fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- 3 oz (1/2 cup) uncooked orzo
Directions:
In a large pot, heat the chicken broth over medium heat, covered.
While the broth is heating up, in a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, onion, garlic, salt and cheese. Using your (clean) hands, gently mix all the ingredients well until everything is combined. Form small meatballs, about 1 tbsp each, you'll get about 40.
When the broth comes to a boil, drop the meatballs in, add the orzo and chopped escarole.
Add fresh pepper, adjust salt as needed and cook about 10 minutes or until orzo is done.
Makes 12 cups.
























Great blog; I'll be visiting often. I'm a Lifetime WW far from goal, but struggling to get back. I love this soup and have made it often. Your chicken chili looks like a keeper, too.
ReplyDeleteArlene- I wish you luck on your goal! I have to tell you that the recipes that I've found on this blog helped my husband and I not only reach but go beyond our WW goals. We have yet to make something that wasn't flavorful and easy to prepare (we need that with four kids!) and it's been a joy to try all of Gina's recipes. Good luck to you and happy cooking!
DeleteThis soup looks soooooooooooo good!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your blog!
Yummy! I made this for dinner tonight. The husband and I loved it! I added carrots and subbed spinach for the escarole. I wasn't sure about the turkey meatballs, but they were great! Thanks Gina!
ReplyDeleteI'm not even on WW but I like to come here just for some low-fat recipes. I made the turkey meatballs for my tomato soup and they turned out great. I subbed parsley for tarragon and used shredded parm, turned out great.
ReplyDeleteI made this with the appetizer size pre-made turkey meatballs at the supermarket and it was absolutely delicous!
ReplyDeleteI made this tonight, and I LOVED it!! I have joined WW for the LAST time and just found your website. I looked through all the recipes this weekend and can't wait to try them. Wonderful website!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for leaving a comment Dana. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThis looks fabulous! I love Escarole Soup in the Fall and Winter. I can't wait to try this one!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely delicious! I made this tonight...the meatballs are so tender and flavorful...I was sort of expecting the broth to be bland..but it was fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThanks Gina!
That would be perfect on a snowy night like tonight.
ReplyDeleteDear Gina - thank you so much for these fabulous recipes - tonight I made the escarole and meatball soup - having grown up in an Italian kitchen I am very familiar with this soup and love the lighter version. One question though, the olive oil, I added it to the meatball mixture which I have never done before - normally I would actually add it to the soup liquid but it worked out really well.
ReplyDeleteThanks again!
@Claudia - Thanks for noticing that. The olive oil shouldn't be there, I copied this from my skinny meatball recipe which is fried first in the olive oil then cooked in sauce. But these are dropped into the soup. Thanks for noticing that, (which actually means the points are a little less) I'll need to recalculate that.
ReplyDeleteHi Gina,
ReplyDeleteAnother delicious meal.I made this tonight really enjoyed every bite and it was filling too!!Where the weather here is chilly still the soup is good,
Thanks again Gina
and I lost 1.6lbs last week at ww.
Canada
You're welcome! Good for you!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite dishes...great recipe..love the pics!
ReplyDeleteAnother awesome recipe, this was SO DELICIOUS. It's going into the weekly soup rotation :)
ReplyDeleteI'd love to get the pointsplus for this recipe--I've been looking for an italian wedding soup to make, and I'm gonna give this one a try. thanks!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to make this tomorrow, it sounds so good. But none of the grocery stores I went to had escarole. I got some kale, do you think it will be okay using that?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it would be great with kale, any greens would be fine.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to let you know I made this soup today with the kale and followed your recipe to the T and it was so delicious. DH and I both had seconds and enough for supper tomorrow. Thank you so much, this is a definite keeper.
ReplyDeleteany chance you could do points plus, I don't see all the stats to do the calculator. :) thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis was so good! At first I was skeptical about putting the raw meatballs right into the broth but they turned out awesome. SO good! I had to use spinach because I couldn't find any escarole.
ReplyDeleteJust updated points plus!
ReplyDeleteThis soup is fantastic and really easy to make. The meatballs are flavourful and tender. I used a homemade turkey stock as the broth and it really was great! I will be making this again for sure!
ReplyDeleteNothing beats homemade broth or stock! Glad you enjoyed it!!
ReplyDeleteThis soup was a huge hit with my friends at our Christmas celebration! Like another poster, I substituted spinach and added carrots, and it was delicious. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteone of our fav recipes! just made it again yesterday :)
ReplyDeleteI made it yesterday and it was DELISH!!! Sooooo good. I used kale instead of escarole and it was still wonderful.
ReplyDeletethank you so much for this recipie. i made it yesterday and it was wonderful!!!
ReplyDeleteI am not really a "recipe person" normally just liking to kind of wing it on my own. But I have to tell you that your recipes that I have looked at so far are inspiring me to try some of them out. If you do a cookbook I would be interested.
ReplyDeleteAnd I definitely appreciate you having the WW points + values for them all.
I can't wait to try this soup.
czing - I've never been a "recipe person" either, coming from the south where everything's deepfried and home-made. And I was always the head chef at the house, but since my diagnosis of probable MS and my recent 'difficulty' cooking (read: 'often unable to cook'), I'd had trouble figuring out what to do.
DeleteSome folks online pointed me to your site, Gina, and viola! Here was my answer to needing a good diet while being the only cook in a household including my husband and a male room-mate who'd lost his home to foreclosure - oh lordy, this site has been my saving grace.
I've been able to eat healthy, get "my boys" to eat healthy AND have them cook the meals when I can't because THEY love them also! Every single one so far has been a smash. We've not always followed to a "t," but close enough that they stay healthy and we all win big.
If the guys see odd ingredients in the fridge, they know I've picked out a few newer recipes to try and they get excited - it's kinda funny seeing full grown men in their forties dancing around the kitchen asking "Whadda we gonna do for supper?"
I hope to have a cookbook in my future!
ReplyDeleteI am making this recipe tomorrow and am so excited. Thank you for the wonderful recipes. We have all ready had several which have become family staples. I am following Points Plus and am enjoying this web site more than another popular "blog" web site for lighter recipes. Yours are wonderful and REALASTIC!!!!!!!! Please please get a cook book. I will be on line for one!
ReplyDeleteI am making this recipe tomorrow and am so excited. Thank you for the wonderful recipes. We have all ready had several which have become family staples. I am following Points Plus and am enjoying this web site more than another popular "blog" web site for lighter recipes. Yours are wonderful and REALASTIC!!!!!!!! Please please get a cook book. I will be on line for one!
ReplyDeleteSo far this is my favorite soup recipe on the site - so much flavor, my husband loved it! Thanks again for helping me stay on track.
ReplyDeleteThis was amazing! I just made it tonight as is. Growing up in an Italian kitchen, my grandmother always made escarole soup. Your recipe is just delicious and the turkey meatballs have so much flavor. It didn't take long to cook at all, and it was very easy to make. Thank you! I love your site!
ReplyDeleteI'm making this soup again today. I just love it. And if you put together a cookbook I will be first in line for it. Thanks so much for coverting to the Points+. This is my 2nd week on WW and have lost 6 pounds so far and a few of our dinners have been your recipes.
ReplyDeleteSo happy you are all enjoying it!
ReplyDeleteA friend gave me the link to your blog after her neighbor made and gave her some of your chicken chili. In June 2010 I had gastric bypass surgery and things are going great, but I'm always on the lookout for healthy, low-fat, low-sugar recipes that both my husband and I can eat. I've found some recipes...well, ok, a bunch of recipes here that I can't wait to try. THANK YOU for doing all this work and providing the blog, with such awesome pictures, for all of us. You rock!
ReplyDeleteI've never had Italian wedding soup before but when I decided to try it I came to your site first and voila! Another wonderful recipe! You rock Gina! Oh PS the soup was great! (I substituted spinach and brown rice since that's what I had on hand) Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit on a Gina's Recipe kick these days, and I had to comment that this is the *best* (good for you) thing I have ever made. I may have to hide the leftovers from my husband! Thanks for making eating healthy and on points good tasting and interesting.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I found your website yesterday and fell in LOVE with it. The pictures are beautiful and recipes look delish! I saw this recipe yesterday and decided to work off it, but did a couple things different based on what I had in my house. Have you ever heard of al fresco All Natural? They make fully cooked chicken meatballs, I had the Tomato & Basil flavor in my freezer. Your turkey meatballs sound amazing, but these were assembled and fully cooked (and they taste fantastic) – the soup in general only took about 20 minutes to make. I also sautéed garlic and mushrooms before I added the broth, and used baby spinach instead of escarole.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing all these fantastic recipes (and the points values), I am going to make the Spinach Lasagna Rolls tonight!
Sarah, never heard of them but sounds like a quick way to make this!
ReplyDeleteGina,
ReplyDeleteHave you started on a cookbook? I'm very interested!!! My girlfriend turned me on to Hungry Girl but I prefer your recipes. Is there a cookbook in the works?
Thanks,
Kris
Thanks, not yet but I hope to have more time now to work on it.
ReplyDeleteGina,
ReplyDeleteI made the soup tonight; this is the first recipe I have attempted from your site. My grocery store didn't have escarole, so I substituted collard greens and broke up some linguine noodles because I forgot to get some orzo.
As I sit down to sample it, it tastes pretty good--I look forward to making it with the REAL ingredients sometime in the future! Soup leftovers here I come!
-Natalie
Yum!!! I loved this recipe! I made all the meatballs and saved half for this soup and tomorrow will put the other half in marinara sauce over pasta! Cook once eat twice is my theory. Gina I LOVE this site..thanks so much for delicious light recipes. I can still eat what I like but feel great about it! -Christine
ReplyDeleteThis was delicious - and perfect for a cold rainy day! It was so easy to make too. I'm definitely going to make this again.
ReplyDeletehi gina
ReplyDeletei love your website and sure i will give a try to many tasty dishes
I just made this today for lunch, it was so freaking good! Way better than I thought it would turn out. I couldn't find escarole so I just used spinach and some mushrooms that were about to go bad. I'm not on WW, nor am I actively trying to "diet" and I still really like this recipe. The meatball recipe is the best for turkey, gives it a lot of flavor. The only thing is that my broth wasn't as clear, some of the turkey pieces and onion had drifted off the meatballs and into the broth. Any suggestions for not having that happen next time? Should I add one more egg or reduce/increase the heat?
ReplyDeleteHi Gina,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this site. I made this and it was delightful and my husband loved it! I will make again. The meatballs are wonderful and firm, but not greasy. I will make this often. Thanks for your wonderful recipes.
Made this tonight (without the pasta--trying to cut carbs) Tastes great! Thank you!!
ReplyDelete-Lauren
I am making this tonight. I think I will add cannellini beans instead of the orzo since we loved them in your Pasta with Italian Chicken Sausage, Escarole and Beans recipe.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking you could replace both the bread crumbs and the orzo with Quinoa and lower the carbs too..
ReplyDeletegreat take on an old favorite but when I lived in Italy for a year the soup was served at weddings which is why it is called wedding soup or zupa la sposa (soup of the bride) and it has a Parmesan egg type crouton floating on it.
ReplyDeleteIs the cheese binding in the meatballs? If I make this without the parm should I add more breadcrumbs or substitute something else?
ReplyDeleteIt's more for flavor, it may need more salt.
DeleteHas anyone tried Quinoa in place of the Orzo?
ReplyDeleteWould be wonderful! Farro would be great too!
DeleteI love make ahead meals, especially during the school year! It looks delicious and it's getting me in the mood for Fall!
ReplyDeleteI do something first with the meatballs that I learned from Lidia Bastianich. You simmer the meatballs for 3-4 minutes in plain water, then fish them out & plop into the soup. This makes sure no 'scummy' proteins (that white icky stuff) stay in the water pot & not into the soup. It's a nice touch & no trouble, really.
ReplyDeleteThanks for adding the great suggestion. I usually precook my meatballs, but that's so time consuming! So, to cook them in the soup is a great idea and keeping the broth clear by pre-boiling in plain water is a tip I'll be keeping!
Deletelivininthegreen.blogspot.com
I'm so glad you like it. I was happy to see Lidia do that & it really is a good tip. Thanks!
DeleteOne of my favorite soups ever.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great skinny take on this delicious soup! I'd love to try it myself!
ReplyDeleteI love that you can make a lot and save some for later! Some things taste even better the next day!
ReplyDeleteEspecially soup!
DeleteI usually bake a triple batch of mini mealballs, then separate them out and freezer bag them until I'm ready for another pot..we also sub in spinach and use 6c of chicken broth and 2c of beef broth vs all chicken...we also cook the orzo separate to portion better and it doesn't get soggy
ReplyDeleteGina - I hardly ever comment but I have been obsessing over your blog for a few months now. I found you on pinterest and have made many of your recipes to date. I have loved every one of them so completely! My family loves them too. Even my picky boys! I have made several of your recipes for company and they have all raved about how delicious everything is and can they have the recipe please?
ReplyDeleteTonite is the Bolognese Sauce w/pasta (I couldn't find any spaghetti squash). It's simmering right now and smells delicious. Maybe later this week I'll make this wonderful sounding soup. It's supposed to finally rain here in WA and I'd love to have a nice warm soup!
Anyway, just wanted to say how much I am enjoying your website and all your wonderful recipes! Thanks for giving all of us healthy alternatives (and for taking the time to calculate not just the WW points, but all the nutritional information). You are a gem!
So happy you are enjoying them!
DeleteI love this soup!! Great recipe!
ReplyDeleteyay! I love love love Italian wedding soup! Thanks for a great recipe.
ReplyDeleteThis recipe is delicious! Thank you for all the wonderful ideas. I made it with kale instead of escarole, came out great!
ReplyDeleteI came across your site in Jan. 2012 and had found this one in your archives and made it often over the winter months. One of my favorites and so quick to make, just like all your recipes! My other 3 favorites are: Asian turkey meatballs, Coconut Shrimp Thai curry and Tilapia Fish Tacos!
ReplyDeletethis sounds really yummy - I'm not sure what escarole is - kept 'seeing' something in my head but that was endive! I have some frozen Safeway brand turkey meatballs I may use up with this - cut think in fourths. I do want to try the meatball recipe though ..hmm..now to see if I have some turkey in the freezer..I've been wanting a good meatball recipe-for me that translates to healthy and flavorful! can't wait to try this and more of your recipes. an online friend told me about this site and I found a coule of other sites that sound good as well - for me I can't have too many sources of inspiration - they motivate me LOL! I would love a cookbook (though I wanna pick out all the ones that sound best to ME to be in it LOL!)
ReplyDelete:-)
thanks,
Susanna
How lovely!
ReplyDeleteNever made anything with escarole, but looking forward to trying it!
ReplyDeleteMy only edit would be to make the soup minus the orzo, then cook the orzo as needed and add it in. The last time I made a soup like this, the orzo expanded so much that it wasn't even a soup anymore...and the orzo became really gummy after refrigerating and freezing it.
ReplyDeleteI HAVE NEVER HEARD OF 'ESCEROLE'! IS IT LIKE CABBAGE OR LETTUCE?
ReplyDeleteNo, it's like escarole. I would say chard or baby spinach would be a good substitute.
DeleteYum! This is one of my favorite soups ever.
ReplyDelete♥ kristen ♥
www.beholdthemetatron.com
Just finished the batch, and it is delicious, didn't have any escarole, used chopped up baby spinach instead! Also made your broccoli and cheaddar/potato soup, and the cauliflower soup, and the Chia mango pudding and Chia overnight oatmeal....can you tell I am stocking up for my upcoming night shifts? All tasted amazing!
ReplyDeleteGina,
ReplyDeleteLove your website -- have made and loved many of your recipes! Have a big question for you -- I'm highly allergic to eggs. What would be a good binder for the meatballs instead of the egg? I see someone else used sausages, but the meatballs sound so lovely and I would love to try them instead. Any suggestions?
I was just going to post the same thing. My daughter is allergic to eggs too...but I really want to try this. Do you think the Egg replacer could work?
DeleteMy grandmom used to 2-3 slices of bread soaked in milk to help bind meatballs together, but I know she used eggs as well so I don't know how well that combo would bind them (or affect the points) on its own. If you did that I would leave out the breadcrumbs.
ReplyDeleteYes, I use bread once in a while too, you can wet it and mix it in, leave out the breadcrumbs.
DeleteCan vegetable broth be substituted, or would that change the taste? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis has been one of my favorite recipes of yours! I have been waiting for cooler weather to make it. I use spinach in it, and instead of the orzo I use a parmesan and egg mix that I drizzle in it like traditional Italian wedding soup. My five year old loves it! Thanks so much :)
ReplyDeleteThis may have been discussed previously, but, can you use kale instead? I have oodles of kale!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, any dark leafy green would be great.
Deletei'm fanatic about watching sodium. i'm just curious. does the bulk of the sodium come from the chicken broth you use? i know that even reduced sodium chicken broth can be in the 600s for sodium content. i use a chicken broth that has 120mg of sodium per serving, so i wonder if that would cut the sodium in the soup.
ReplyDeleteThumbs up! Just made this for dinner and it was delicious. I added some sliced carrots and celery to the broth, which really made it pretty and added some extra flavor. This one's a keeper.
ReplyDeleteCan this be made in a crockpot Gina? Any idea on the cooking lengths if so? Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteSure, but I would cook the pasta and add it at the end. I would say 4 hours on low with meatballs, then add escarole and cook one more hour.
DeleteJust made this soup. The meatballs are so delicious, and they make the soup so tasty. I added celery and carrots, and I substituted swiss chard for the escarole, because my farm stand didn't have escarole. It is still soooo delicious! Great recipe!
ReplyDeleteThis is officially one of my favorite recipes on this site! I've been making so many of your recipes the past couple of weeks. I used this as my side dish to your chicken spinach rolatini! I couldn't stop eating spoonfuls before dinner even started! My boyfriend LOVED it! This is so easy to prepare, and so fast! But it's SO GOOD for such a simple soup! Great work, Gina! and THANK YOU for sharing, I'm making it again tonight for my mom :o)
ReplyDeleteThis soup was wonderful! I will make this again and again! I especially liked how the Escarole held up to the heat and didn't break down too much.
ReplyDeleteI made this today and we loved it! Once I removed the "green stuff" from my 5 year old's bowl, he gobbled it up. I will definitely make this again and again.
ReplyDeleteI am not a soup fan in general, but this was so fantastically delicious!!! This recipe is a definite keeper. My husband and I loved it and I'm thrilled to find a delicious and filling low point recipe. Like many others, I used spinach and it came out great! I added an extra garlic clove to the meat mixture, though. Dinner was over 2 hours ago and the leftovers have been put away and the house STILL smells awesome from the soup cooking! Thank you Gina for yet another winner!
ReplyDeleteI made this soup last night- what a nice flavor! I can't wait to have some leftovers at lunchtime today- thank you for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteI am currently sitting at my desk, enjoying this amazing soup. Thank you so much for the recipe!!
ReplyDelete: )
Deletewe have GOT to try this soup! Soon....very soon!
ReplyDeletemust try tomo!!
ReplyDeleteI just made this yesterday and it was so good! Froze a bunch for my upcoming lunches :)
ReplyDeleteSo amazing!! And easy to make. This will be a winter favorite.
ReplyDeleteMade this last night and it was fantastic. Leftovers for lunch were just as good.. Added a bit of carrot and onion to the broth prior to adding the meatballs and escarole and it was wonderful. May consider using kale and making the meatballs spicy next time, or possibly use some oregano and lemon for a little Greek flavor. This is most certainly going into our regular Skinnytaste rotation. Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteMade this soup yesterday and it was the perfect thing for a sunny fall day. I had 2 Turkey italian sausage links on hand, so I removed the meat from the casings and mixed it with the plain turkey. Other than that, followed the recipe to e 't.' Amazing!!
ReplyDeleteGina~
ReplyDeleteHi! I love this recipe and I've made it several times before you re-vamped it. Have the points changed? I thought it used to make 5 servings and for 1/5th it was 5points? Right?
Thanks!
Yes, when I remade it this time around I measured the final and re-calculated. 1 1/2 cups is more than enough per person but I wound up with more servings.
DeleteBut how is it that 1/5th used to be 5 points and now 1/8th of recipe is still 5 points? I guess that's where I'm confused. Thanks!! Love your site and make soooo many of your recipes.
DeleteI've been making this recipe for years-it's from Bon Appetit (you've changed a little but not much). Why not make a note that this is an adapted recipe?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Escarole-and-Orzo-Soup-with-Turkey-Parmesan-Meatballs-107692
This site is the most original recipe site, you must be joking.
DeleteJust looked at the link, funny it's pretty close but no I didn't copy it from there, I would have linked back. These are my Italian turkey meatballs recipe (old recipe on this Skinnytaste) basically dropped in broth instead of sauce with escarole and pasta. It's a pretty common soup that doesn't have too many ingredients, so I can see why you might think that.
DeleteI just made this - DELICIOUS!!!! Perfect for this slightly cool fall day. I made a double batch with extra meatballs which I cooked in the broth but pulled out for another dish sometime down the road. I will definitely be doing that again!
ReplyDeleteI made this tonight with kale and it was so so so SO GOOD. This will definitely be my go-to soup this fall and winter. Thanks for sharing this :)
ReplyDeleteI made this tonight with spinach - it was SOOO yummy and so easy :-) Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis soup is so delicious!! For all those who weren't sure about the escarole and subbed spinach, I tried with both, and I have to say the escarole is superior! Definitely brought a little more flavor to the soup. I also sauteed my onions and garlic with a spritz of EVOO from my misto before adding them to the meatball mixture, it added a little more depth of flavor to an already delicious recipe. I make big batches of this and freeze 'em for an easy lunch! Thanks for this one, Gina!
ReplyDeleteHi Gina. I am Gina too. Just discovered your blog and I am on a roll with the recipes. Great soup, hubby really enjoyed it! It was so easy too!! Made the pumpkin butter as well, it's heavenly!!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI made this last night and LOVED it (and am still loving it as I eat leftovers for lunch right now). I used Kale which worked well except I should have done a better job cutting up the pieces and removing some of the bigger stalks as it's a bit leafy - but still tasty. Also used 2/3 cup orzo to get in a few more carbs and eat as a main meal. Turkey meatballs were great, very flavorful and moist, loved being able to just drop them right into the broth. So tasty and so easy, thank you for this recipe. I'm looking forward to trying more of yours!
ReplyDeleteKatie
We made this with a few changes to make it gluten free due to dietary restrictions. We used rice instead of orzo and omitted the breadcrumbs from the meatballs and added extra cheese to replace the breadcrumbs. It turned out great! Kids loved it too. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm new to freezer cooking. Can you explain how you defrost/re-heat? I'd like to be able to freeze and reheat individual portions as quickly as possible. This was one of my favorite meals growing up and I am happy to have a lightened up recipe for it. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI'd love some tips on freezing/reheating, too! Can I make the whole soup, freeze leftovers, and reheat in the crockpot? Or should I reheat the brothy part, and freeze the meatballs separately... is so, when would I add them in? The last half hour? And what about the orzo? Doesn't it get mushy if frozen? Thanks for any help you can provide!
ReplyDeleteI was going to add carrots & celery to make it more like my original (not WW) version. Thinking I would add 1 pt+, does that sound right?
ReplyDeleteThis soup was delicious! I added a little shredded carrot, just for more veggies & color. It made enough that my BF & I each had a big bowl & I put the rest in the freezer for next time. Great recipe, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis soup was unbeleivable, coming from an Italian Family, cutting out almost 1/2 the fat and calories was Amazing. I love your website, and have never used as many recipies from a website before .. EVER
ReplyDeleteI am really starting to scare myself with my cooking thanks to you! Absolutely amazing meals; keeps me in track for almost a year. This soup was no exception . So so delicious. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteHi Gina last time I made your Italian turkey meatballs I did a double batch & froze extra uncooked meatballs. Could I use frozen uncooked meatballs in this soup or will it mess it up? I've made it before following the recipe & loved it!! Thanks Gina!
ReplyDeleteGina, are u supposed to brown the meat first? Or will the turkey cook thoroughly just by being in the broth? Thx
ReplyDeleteI made this for dinner tonight. Overall is pretty good. I used Horizon egg whites instead of an egg, progresso italian bread crumbs and spinach. The egg whites worked well with the meatballs. You don't need 16 ounces of the spinach, I probably used 2/3 of that. I also followed a tip I saw on here about cooking the meatballs separate in water for a few minutes and then added them to the soup. Great tip! The soup wasn't cloudy with all the muck. I think it needs more chicken broth than 8 cups. The soup has a very nice flavor and is very filling. A key is to add really good parmesan to the meatballs & as a topping.
ReplyDeleteI have made this twice and followed the recipe without any problems. Delicious!
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled upon your website via pinterest and I am officially addicted! I love your blogging, photography and amazing recipes! This soup was the first one I made from your website and I have had it everyday for lunch and just can't get enough. I am so grateful to have found such a great source of healthy, yummy food. Keep on truckin lady!
ReplyDeleteWe'll be making this.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I'd change would be to add the orzo whenever you pull a batch from the freezer. I think the orzo will get to mushy sitting as it defrosts and then the reheating process.
I do the same when I make chicken soup. I make everything but hold off on adding the rice or noodles and add them everytime when I reheat any leftovers.
After a week of the flu we needed something healthy and soothing. This really hit the spot my husband loved it! :)
ReplyDelete