Minestrone Soup with Turkey Fennel Meatballs

The coming of seasons changing is upon us! Happy soup season and sweater weather. Yesterday we had a chill in the air and I might have broken out the pumpkins already! I can’t help it. And with that come all the cozy bowls and soups. There’s something so comforting about this classic Italian soup. It’s loaded with tons of vegetables, a rich herby tomato broth and fennel turkey meatballs. It’s hearty and delicious after a long day!

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 carrots, medium dice
• 3 celery stalks, medium dice
• 1/2 shallot, peeled and minced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup Yukon potatoes, medium diced
• 1/2 cup herbs, rosemary and thyme, minced
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 (28 oz) can whole or crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups cooked macaroni pasta
• 2-3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 parmesan rind
• salt and black pepper
• Fennel turkey meatballs (recipe follows)

Fennel Turkey Meatballs

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. fennel seeds
• 2 tsp. thyme
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste

Directions

In a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat, heat up the olive oil and add the carrots, celery, shallots, garlic, mushrooms and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Stirring frequently just for about 7-8 minutes just until the vegetables start to soften. Then add in the herbs and red wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and vegetables stock, and add in the parmesan rind. Bring it to a simmer and reduce to medium low while you make the meatballs.

For the meatballs preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl combine together the ground turkey, garlic, fennel seeds, thyme, bread crumbs and tomato paste. Season with salt and black pepper. Using your hands and mix it all together until evenly combined. Use a little 1 tbsp ice cream scoop and scoop all the meatballs out onto a baking pan. Roll into even balls with your hands and then place in the oven to bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden and cooked through. Once they are cooked add into the soup along with the cooked macaroni. Let it simmer together for another 5-10 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind.

Serve in large bowls and garnish with more herbs. Enjoy!