Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, half the minced garlic, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Mix gently with your hands just until combined. Do not overwork the meat or the meatballs will be tough.

Roll the mixture into meatballs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, which is roughly the size of a golf ball. You should get about 20 to 24 meatballs. Place them on the prepared baking sheet with a little space between each one.

Bake the meatballs for 18 to 20 minutes, until they are cooked through and lightly browned on the outside. You can do this step ahead and freeze them. While the meatballs bake, start the soup base.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and the carrots have started to soften at the edges.

Add the remaining garlic and the red pepper flakes if using. Stir and cook for one minute until the garlic is fragrant but not brown.

Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and the chicken broth. Add the drained cannellini beans, dried oregano, and the remaining salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 10 minutes so the flavors come together.

Add the baked meatballs to the pot. Stir gently so they are submerged in the broth. Simmer for five more minutes.

Stir in the chopped kale in the last five minutes of simmering. It will look like a lot but it wilts down quickly. Cook just until the kale is tender and bright green. Cooking it longer than that makes it bitter and drab-colored.

Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with extra Parmesan if you like. Serve with crusty bread on the side.