My Next Hungry Lady Soup is one that truly warms your soul. The combination of gingery turkey meatballs, flavorful broth piled high with greens, and a generous squeeze of lime is so incredibly satisfying. Add a tangle of rice noodles, and you have a bowl worth settling in with.
The meatballs get their flavor from fresh ginger, garlic, and cilantro, then a little time in the skillet gives them golden edges before they finish cooking in the broth. There’s nothing bland about these turkey meatballs.
Keep the noodles separate until you’re ready to serve so they don’t soak up all that lovely broth. Then finish your bowl with chile oil, fresh cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds, or dive right in without the accessories. There’s plenty to love either way.
Ingredients
Ground dark-meat turkey: The base of our gingery meatballs. Use dark meat rather than turkey breast for a little more richness.
Yellow onion: Adds savory flavor to the meatballs and a gently sweet base to the broth. Dice it finely for the meatballs so you don’t get large pieces in each bite.
Fresh garlic and ginger: These bring so much flavor to both the meatballs and the soup. Fresh ginger is particularly lovely here, with its warmth and little bit of bite.
Eggs: Help hold the meatballs together without breadcrumbs. The mixture is delicate, so don’t skip the chilling time.
Toasted sesame oil: A little brings nutty flavor to the meatballs and the soup base. Look for toasted sesame oil specifically.
Fish sauce: Adds savory depth to the turkey. It’s a small amount doing important work.
Cilantro: Both the leaves and tender stems work in the meatballs. Save some leaves for finishing your bowl.
Olive oil: For browning the meatballs before they finish cooking in the broth.
Bell pepper: Red, yellow, or orange adds sweetness and color.
Low-sodium chicken broth: Gives you room to adjust the seasoning once the other salty ingredients are added.
Liquid aminos or low-sodium soy sauce: Brings another layer of savory flavor to the broth.
Leafy greens: Spinach, lacinato kale, or Swiss chard all work, but need different cooking times. Give sturdier greens longer to soften.
Rice noodles: Keep them separate until serving so they don’t soak up all that lovely broth.
Lime or lemon: A generous squeeze at the end brightens the whole bowl.
Salt and optional toppings: Taste before adding more salt. Finish with chile oil, fresh herbs, or toasted sesame seeds, or enjoy it without the accessories.
How to Make my Thai Meatball Soup
- Make the meatballs. Combine all the meatball ingredients and mix just until combined. Shape into golf-ball-sized meatballs using a small scoop. Place on a tray, cover, and refrigerate for 15–30 minutes to firm up.
- Prepare the noodles. Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and hold briefly in a bowl of cold water while you finish the soup.
- Brown the meatballs. Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides, about 5–7 minutes total per batch. Turn gently, as they’re delicate. Transfer to a clean plate; they’ll finish cooking in the broth.
- Soften the vegetables. Heat 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ½ large diced yellow onion, the bell pepper, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes, until starting to soften. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for another minute.
- Simmer the soup. Add the broth and liquid aminos or soy sauce, plus a big pinch of salt if using unsalted broth. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the meatballs and their juices. If using kale or chard, add the chopped greens now. Simmer, stirring gently once or twice, until the meatballs reach 165°F in the center and the greens are tender. If using spinach, stir it in at the end and let it wilt.
- Season and serve. Squeeze in the lime or lemon juice, then taste and add more salt as needed. Drain the noodles, briefly rewarm in hot water, and drain again. Divide among bowls and ladle the soup and meatballs over them. Finish with chile oil, fresh cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds, if desired.
Kat’s note: I use unsalted stock so I can adjust the seasoning myself, and I always find it needs a little more salt at the end.
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes! Shape them in the morning, cover, and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook dinner. The chilling time also helps this delicate mixture firm up before browning.
These meatballs don’t contain breadcrumbs, so they need a gentle hand. Don’t skip the chilling time, and give them time to brown before turning. Use a thin spatula to loosen and turn them without breaking them apart.
Browning is just the first step; they finish cooking in the broth. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the center reaches 165°F rather than relying on color or cooking time alone.
Spinach, lacinato kale, and Swiss chard all work. Remove tough stems and chop the leaves. Add kale or chard with the meatballs so they have time to soften. Spinach only needs to wilt, so stir it in at the end.
If using unsalted stock, add a generous pinch when the broth goes in. Taste again after adding the lime or lemon juice, then adjust. Broth, fish sauce, and soy sauce vary in saltiness, so let your taste buds guide the final seasoning.
Yes! Freeze the meatballs, broth, and vegetables without the noodles, which can become soft and mushy after freezing and reheating. Let the soup cool, then transfer to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat until the meatballs reach 165°F. Cook fresh rice noodles separately and add them to your bowl when serving.
Gingery Thai-Inspired Meatball & Noodle Soup
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground turkey dark meat , (don't use ground turkey breast)
- ½ large yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro, tender stems and leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more only if needed for browning — proposed amount
Soup
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ large yellow onion, diced — proposed amount, separate from the meatball onion
- 1 large bell pepper, yellow, red or orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 tbsp peeled, grated fresh ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, minced — proposed amount, separate from the meatball garlic
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
- 2 tbsp liquid aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
- 8 ounces spinach, or stemmed and chopped lacinato kale or Swiss chard — proposed weight
- 8 ounces dry rice noodles
- 1 large lime or lemon, juiced- to taste
Optional Ingredients
- Chile oil or garlic chili sauce
- Chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make and chill the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, onion, garlic, ginger, eggs, sesame oil, fish sauce, salt, and cilantro. Mix with clean hands or a silicone spatula just until combined. Use a small scoop to portion into roughly golf-ball-sized meatballs and gently shape them. Arrange on a tray, cover, and refrigerate for 15–30 minutes while you prepare the soup ingredients. You can also shape them in the morning and keep them covered in the refrigerator until dinner.
- Prepare the noodles. Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Hold briefly in a bowl of cold water while you finish the soup, keeping them separate from the broth.
- Brown the meatballs. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the meatballs without crowding and brown for about 5–7 minutes total, turning gently. They do not need to be cooked through yet. Transfer to a clean plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs and the remaining tablespoon of oil, adding more only if the pan is dry. The meatballs are delicate, so let a crust form before turning and use a thin spatula to help release them.
- Cook the soup vegetables. In a large Dutch oven or sturdy pot, heat the tablespoon of toasted sesame oil over medium heat. Add the soup onion, bell pepper, ginger, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the soup garlic and cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant.
- Simmer the soup. Add the broth and liquid aminos or soy sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Carefully add the browned meatballs and any juices from the plate. If using kale or chard, add the prepared leaves now. Simmer gently until the meatballs reach 165°F in the center, checked with an instant-read thermometer, and the greens are tender. Check more than one meatball, including a larger one. Do not rely on browning or a fixed two-minute simmer to establish doneness. If using spinach, stir it in once the meatballs are cooked and let it wilt.
- Season and warm the noodles. Stir in the lime or lemon juice, starting with some and adding more to taste. Taste the broth and add salt if needed. Drain the reserved noodles thoroughly. Briefly warm them in a separate pot of hot water, then drain again so they do not cool or dilute the soup.
- Serve. Divide the warm noodles among bowls and ladle the hot broth, vegetables, and meatballs over them. Finish with chile oil or garlic chili sauce, fresh herbs, and toasted sesame seeds, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
