I recently gave in to the fact that I don’t like ground turkey- not all turkey, just ground turkey. For years I have substituted it for ground beef, but never really enjoyed it. It’s like yogurt, for years I tried to eat it because it’s “good” for me, but I never really liked it. Over my life of eating and cooking, what I’m finally learning is that I don’t have to eat EVERYTHING that’s good for me, and I would also say that the idea of “healthy” food is seriously subjective.

So here I am, ready to quit ground turkey forever. Then, my friend’s husband made us a delicious turkey meatball soup which inspired me to give ground turkey another chance. The meatballs were light, but not dry or flavorless. Being that I had just made a bunch of turkey bone broth from our thanksgiving turkey, I decided to try it out. I considered using chicken, or mixing the turkey with some pork, but decided to go straight turkey so I could once and for all decide if this relationship has run it’s course. The rich broth and the packed with flavor meatballs made for a truly delicious rainy night dinner. My relationship with ground turkey is on a slow road to recovery.

Turkey Meatball Soup

• 6 c. turkey bone broth
• 1lb. ground turkey
• 3 dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted in hot water
• 3 garlic cloves
• 8 fresh sage leaves
• 1 egg
• 1 med. onion
• 1 c. shredded carrots
• 1 bunch lacinto kale, chopped
• salt & pepper

Mince mushrooms, sage, and garlic together. Add this mixture and egg to the ground turkey and mix well. In a dutch oven or large pot, sauté onion and carrots till soft. Add turkey broth and bring to a boil. While waiting for broth to boil, make meatballs with turkey mixture- I made small meatballs, like 3/4 in. Drop them in and cook 5-10 minutes depending on size (I pulled a couple out to test doneness). Add kale and cook just till wilted, 1-2 minutes. Season with S&P to taste.