Ingredients

The following ingredients have 9 Servings
  • 2 pounds turkey legs (about three legs, no thigh)
  • ½ fresh parsley with stems (the more stems the better)
  • 2 medium carrots washed and cut into quarters
  • 1 large stalk celery cut into quarters
  • 1 leek, white only cleaned of sand and quartered
  • 1 garlic clove smashed
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4 black peppercorns whole
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • ¼ cup onions, minced
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup onions diced
  • ½ cup celery diced
  • 2 cups carrots, diced into bite sized pieces
  • 1 cup leeks, white only cleaned of sand and diced
  • Stock from cooked turkey legs (about six cups)
  • 1 quart additional chicken stock (carton or canned)
  • Cooked meatballs
  • 5 ounces fresh spinach
  • ½ cup dry orzo pasta
  • Cooked turkey meat, about one pound
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Instruction

  • In a medium stock pot, put all stock ingredients, bring to a boil, cover and simmer covered for two hours. Strain and reserve the stock. Pick meat from turkey legs and hold cooked meat until later. Discard the remaining solids.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, place all meatball ingredients and mix to combine.
  • On a parchment lined sheet pan, scoop out 36 meatballs approximately ¾ of an ounce each. (We used a medium/#40 scoop like this one and then hand rolled each meatball.) Bake for 20 minutes, cool and set aside.
  • In a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and cook onions, celery, carrots and leeks for five minutes over medium high heat.
  • Add both the fresh and carton broth along with cooked meatballs and fresh spinach. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium low for five minutes. Add dry orzo, raise temperature to medium high and cook for 15 minutes until pasta is tender.
  • Add cooked turkey meat and half the Parmesan cheese. Bring to hot and serve in bowls with remaining Parmesan cheese and some good crusty bread.