{"id":5510,"date":"2005-04-07T11:59:10","date_gmt":"2005-04-07T18:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/?p=5510"},"modified":"2026-04-12T03:03:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T10:03:04","slug":"caramelized-vegetable-and-meatball-soup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/?p=5510","title":{"rendered":"Caramelized Vegetable and Meatball Soup"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-39411 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/04\/vegetable-meatball-soup-0109-823x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"384\" height=\"478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/04\/vegetable-meatball-soup-0109-823x1024.jpg 823w, https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/04\/vegetable-meatball-soup-0109-241x300.jpg 241w, https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/04\/vegetable-meatball-soup-0109-121x150.jpg 121w, https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/04\/vegetable-meatball-soup-0109-768x955.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/04\/vegetable-meatball-soup-0109-1235x1536.jpg 1235w, https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/04\/vegetable-meatball-soup-0109-1647x2048.jpg 1647w, https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/04\/vegetable-meatball-soup-0109-217x270.jpg 217w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">1 small peeled, seeded butternut squash<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">2 large carrots, peeled<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">2 large parsnips, peeled<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">15 to 20 garlic cloves, peeled<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">1\/4 C. olive oil, divided<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">2 1\/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">1 1\/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">1 pound ground turkey (not breast only)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">1 T. fennel seeds<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">1 egg, lightly beaten<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">2 large leeks, cut into 1\/4-in. slices and rinsed<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">1 large head fennel, cut into 1\/4-in. slices (reserve feathery fronds for garnish)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">8 C. reduced-sodium or homemade chicken broth<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNoSpacing\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 157.4pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\">Preheat oven to 425\u00b0 and arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Cut squash, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips into 1-in. pieces and put in a large oiled roasting pan; add garlic. Toss with 2 1\/2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 1\/2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper and spread out in a single layer, leaving as much room as possible around the pieces. Roast vegetables on lower rack about 40 minutes, or until browned and tender (stir after they&#8217;ve browned underneath, about 25 minutes). Meanwhile, make meatballs: With wet hands, mix turkey, fennel seeds, egg, 1 tsp. salt, and 1\/2 tsp. pepper together in a small bowl. Oil your hands with some of remaining oil. Shape turkey mixture into 1-in. meatballs and set them on an oiled rimmed baking sheet as you go, using more oil as needed to coat them well. Roast meatballs on upper rack 15 to 20 minutes, turning a couple of times to brown well on all sides. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and fennel, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in broth and bring to a boil over high heat, covered. Lower heat and simmer vegetables until meltingly soft, about 25 minutes. When vegetables in oven have caramelized and meatballs are browned, remove both from oven. Transfer meatballs to roasting pan. Pour a ladleful of hot broth into baking sheet and scrape up browned bits; pour into roasting pan along with all contents of pot and gently scrape up vegetables&#8217; browned bits. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes to let flavors mingle. Serve with hunks of warm bread.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1 small peeled, seeded butternut squash 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled 2 large carrots, peeled 2 large parsnips, peeled 15 to 20 garlic cloves, peeled 1\/4 C. olive oil, divided 2 1\/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided 1 1\/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided 1 pound ground turkey (not breast only) 1 T. fennel seeds 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 large leeks, cut into 1\/4-in. slices and rinsed 1 large head fennel, cut into 1\/4-in. slices (reserve feathery fronds&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/?p=5510\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[100],"class_list":["post-5510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-soups-stews","tag-meatball"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5510"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5510\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39415,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5510\/revisions\/39415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/recipes\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}