Vegetable Barley Soup with Turkey Meatballs

Make the meatballs first. Combine ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, ground cumin, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix to combine, then portion into mini meatballs. One pound of meat should yield about 16 to 20 mini meatballs.

Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and sear, turning as they brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Meatballs will not be cooked all the way through yet.

While meatballs sear, dice carrots, onion and celery.

After meatballs are done browning, warm the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same pot. Add diced veggies, season with salt and pepper and saute until softened, about 8–10 minutes. Stir often.

Once veggies are softened, add crushed tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add barley and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer gently for 25–30 minutes until barley is tender. As soup cooks, barley will expand. If necessary, add 1-2 cups of water. As soup simmers, prep kale and parsley.

Add meatballs back to the pot of soup and simmer another 5–7 minutes to cook through. Stir in sliced kale and chopped parsley. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle soup and meatballs into bowls and top with grated Parmesan, if desired.