Turkey Meatball Soup with Kale

Ingredients

• 600 g turkey mince
• 1 egg
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 40 g panko or fresh breadcrumbs
• salt and black pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 30 g parmesan, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 150 g kale, stems removed and roughly torn
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• extra parmesan, to serve
• Crusty ciabatta, to serve
• Fresh basil, to serve
• Crusty sourdough or focaccia, to serve
• Simple green salad, to serve

Method

1. Mix the turkey mince with the egg, breadcrumbs, minced garlic, oregano, parmesan, a good pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Season generously — turkey is lean and shy, it needs help. Roll into small balls about 3cm across; you should get around 20.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in two batches for 3–4 minutes, turning until deep golden all over. Don't crowd the pan — all at once and they steam in their own juices instead of building that brown crust. Lift them out and set aside; they don't need to be cooked through yet.
3. Drop the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots and celery to the same pot, scraping up any stuck bits from the meatballs — that's flavour, not mess. Cook for 6–8 minutes until softened and just catching at the edges.
4. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Watch it — burnt garlic turns the whole pot bitter and there's no rescuing it.
5. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and the rinsed red lentils, then pour over the chicken stock. The stock is what breaks the tomatoes down so they taste of summer fruit, not tin. Bring to a brisk boil, stirring once to stop the lentils catching on the base.
6. Slide the meatballs back in with any resting juices. Drop to a steady simmer and cook for 18–20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the broth has thickened to a glossy, spoon-coating consistency — the lentils will have collapsed and done the work.
7. Stir through the kale and simmer for another 3–4 minutes until just wilted and tender. Taste, season, taste again — it will want more salt than you think, and a generous grind of pepper. Adjust now, not at the table.
8. Ladle into warm bowls, shower with extra parmesan, drizzle with peppery extra virgin olive oil and scatter torn basil over the top. Crusty sourdough alongside for mopping, a simple green salad on the side.