Ground Turkey Soup

This ground turkey soup recipe is simple to make, hearty, and made in 1 pot. Packed with vegetables, beans, and whole wheat pasta, it’s an easy and wholesome weeknight dinner.

This is a healthier take on a traditional Italian sausage soup. I use only a small amount of olive oil to sauté the aromatics and I pile in tons of fresh vegetables for a healthy, filling meal! Serve with crusty sourdough bread, sourdough rosemary rolls or these easy dinner rolls.  

This easy, last-minute dinner can be prepared with almost any vegetables and ground turkey. I basically live in a soup moment all Winter long. This ground turkey soup plus butternut squash chili, chicken noodle soup and dutch oven beef stew are my typical rotation. 

Professional Tips For Making Ground Turkey Vegetable Soup

• Cook your pasta separately if freezing. If you plan to only eat a bowl or two of this soup when making it, I recommend cooking the pasta separately before freezing the soup. 
• Use lean ground meat. Choosing a lean ground turkey for this recipe will keep the soup tasting light and fresh. Ground meat with too high of a fat content can lead to a bit of grease on the surface of the soup. If this happens, you can use a spoon to skim it off.
• Be sure to taste as you go. The most important advice I can offer to improve your cooking skills is to taste as you go. This will help you find the right balance of seasoning in the soup. Add salt as needed to suit your personal tastes.

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Ingredients

• Garlic: Fresh, large cloves of whole garlic are best for this recipe. If you don’t have fresh garlic available, try a spoonful of jarred garlic rather than using garlic powder.
• Onion: Onion adds savory, lightly sweet flavor to the base of this soup. I recommend using a yellow onion or sweet onion for this recipe.
• Ground Turkey: I use lean ground turkey to keep the soup tasting as light as possible. Ground turkey is also incredible in my Baked Turkey Meatballs!
• Chicken Broth: Just as in my Chicken in White Wine Sauce, homemade chicken broth will always enhance the flavor of your dish. If you don’t have time to make your own broth, be sure to choose one with a lower sodium content, like Pacific Foods chicken stock.
• Beans: I add a full can of Great Northern beans to this soup for creaminess and body. If you can’t find Great Northern beans, opt for cannellini beans. They are very similar in taste and texture.
• Zucchini: Because there are so many hearty ingredients in this soup, I recommend using a small zucchini. 
• Carrots: I like to use regular, medium carrots for this recipe. I do not peel the carrots, as their texture remains a bit more firm.
• Diced Tomatoes: For the boldest flavor, I recommend using roasted diced tomatoes. A full 28-ounce can will add enough acidity to the soup to balance the savory ingredients.
• Potatoes: Just like my Lemon Roasted Chicken dinner, you can use any variety of small potato for this recipe. Yukon Gold potatoes or russet potatoes are both great choices.
• Pepper: I recommend grinding your own fresh peppercorns for optimal flavor. Malabar black peppercorns are the most commonly used peppercorn.
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: A pinch of hot pepper flakes adds just the right amount of heat to this dish. Feel free to add more to taste.
• Pasta: I like to use a short shape of whole wheat pasta for this recipe, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Regular penne, shells, or ditalini are all excellent choices.
• Kale: Lacinato or dinosaur kale is preferred for this recipe. You can, however, use curly kale as well. If you aren’t able to find kale, try using Swiss chard, collard greens, or mustard greens.
• Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is always much more flavorful than pre-grated cheese. A small block of high-quality cheese will last you quite a while. Be sure to save the rind for this Italian sausage soup!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Brown Rice: Rather than using pasta, try this soup with a bit of cooked brown or white rice. I like to cook the rice separately and add it when ready to serve so that it does not overcook.
• Ground Beef: You can make this soup with different ground meat, like ground beef, ground chicken, or ground lamb. I recommend lean ground beef for this variation, just as in my Red Chili Recipe with Ground Beef! To mimic the taste of sausage, try adding a pinch of fennel seed.
• Additional Vegetables: Try adding different vegetables to this soup to see what you like best. Celery like in my chicken vegetable soup, sweet potatoes, and green beans are all popular choices.
• Seasonings: I recommend trying different blends of spices in this soup. Try Italian seasoning, oregano, thyme, or rosemary.

How to Make Ground Turkey Soup with Vegetables

Use these instructions to make the perfect easy ground turkey soup every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below!

Step 1: Sauté garlic, onion, and carrots in 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Keep the heat low to release the moisture without browning. This is called “sweating.” You can add additional oil if desired.

Step 2: Push the vegetables to the edges of the pot and brown the ground turkey in the center. After turkey is cooked through add all remaining ingredients except kale. Simmer gently until pasta and veggies are tender.

Step 3: Add kale and continue to simmer until soft, about another 5 minutes.

Step 4: Serve with crusty bread and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this professional chef-tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed soup recipes, or pick up some ground chicken and make a batch of my fiery Ground Chicken Burgers!