Recipe by: Barbara Martinez
Our Recipe Books features a unique collection of authentic Texas home-cooking recipes straight from the heart of the Homestead Heritage community, where tradition and wholesome ingredients come together to create mouthwatering meals.
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September 1, 2025
This recipe is slightly adapted from Jessica Merchant’s Summer Pesto Mini Meatball Soup at How Sweet Eats and feels like a fresh summer ode to Italian Wedding Soup. It’s also a natural companion to my chicken bone broth recipe, since a rich, homemade broth makes this soup base shine.
As we shift from long summer days into the first hints of fall, this soup feels like the perfect bridge: cozy and comforting, yet still bright with that swirl of pesto made from summer’s basil bounty. It’s the kind of dish that carries a taste of summer right into the cooler months ahead—when rain, chilly evenings, and maybe even snow have us reaching for bowls of something warm. (Okay, maybe not here in Texas… but if we ever do get buried under feet of snow, I’ll be ladling this up and dreaming of hot Texas summers.)
And like all the best soups, this one is versatile: swap in whatever ground meat you have on hand, roll the meatballs large or small, use store-bought pesto in a pinch, and add your favorite pasta shape instead of the minis if that’s what you’ve got. It’s one of those recipes where you probably have everything you need on hand to pull together a fast and delicious meal.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix the ground turkey (1 lb) with the panko (¼ cup), parmesan cheese (2 Tbsp), pesto (3 Tbsp), salt (1 tsp), and pepper (½ tsp). Form into meatballs.
Make the meatballs whatever size you prefer, we like them mini for this soup.
Heat a large stockpot over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Brown the meatballs in a single layer, turning to brown all sides, about 8–10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining olive oil to the pot. Stir in the shallot (1 whole) with a pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Return the meatballs to the pot and pour in the broth (8 cups)
Bring to a simmer, then stir in the pasta. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Stir in 1–2 tablespoons of pesto (note: the broth may look a little green!). Ladle into bowls and serve. Swirl in extra pesto to taste, top with Parmesan, fresh basil, and a pinch of red chili pepper flakes.
Don't let the color of the broth deter you! The pesto will change the color of the soup but the flavor will be fantastic.
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