Cherry-Coded Sour Cherry Turkey Meatball Soup (Print Version)

Tangy cherry-infused soup with turkey meatballs, fresh vegetables, and a balance of aromatic herbs.

# Components:

→ For the Meatballs

01 - 500 g ground turkey
02 - 1 large egg
03 - 40 g breadcrumbs
04 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
05 - 1 small onion, grated
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 tsp salt
08 - ½ tsp black pepper
09 - ½ tsp smoked paprika

→ For the Soup

10 - 2 tbsp olive oil
11 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
12 - 2 carrots, diced
13 - 2 celery stalks, diced
14 - 1.2 L chicken or vegetable broth
15 - 300 g pitted sour cherries (fresh or frozen; reserve juices)
16 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
17 - 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
18 - 1 bay leaf
19 - ½ tsp ground cinnamon
20 - ½ tsp dried thyme
21 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

22 - Fresh dill or parsley, chopped (optional)

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, grated onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Mix until just combined.
02 - With wet hands, form 2–3 cm diameter meatballs and set aside on a tray.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5–6 minutes until softened.
04 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add broth, bay leaf, thyme, and cinnamon. Bring to a gentle simmer.
05 - Carefully drop turkey meatballs into the simmering broth. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
06 - Add sour cherries (and any reserved juice), honey or maple syrup, and continue simmering for 10–12 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through and cherries are softened.
07 - Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Remove bay leaf. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh dill or parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in just over an hour from start to finish
  • Uses simple ingredients that create complex flavors
  • Perfect balance of savory and tart notes
  • The unique flavor combination always impresses dinner guests
02 -
  • High in protein with 27g per serving
  • Contains beneficial antioxidants from sour cherries
  • Can be made ahead and reheated beautifully
  • Perfect for batch cooking and freezing
03 -
  • Always use a gentle touch when mixing and forming meatballs to keep them tender. Overworking the meat mixture results in tough meatballs. I learned this the hard way after serving hockey pucks instead of meatballs at my first dinner party. The key is to mix just until ingredients are incorporated and no more.

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