Description
This hearty Turkey Vegetable Soup is a nutritious, low-calorie meal packed with ground turkey and an abundance of fresh vegetables simmered in flavorful broth and seasoned with a blend of herbs and spices. Perfect for a healthy diet or weight loss plan, it’s easy to make and perfect for family meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Aromatics
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced (at least 1 tablespoon)
Spices and Seasonings
- 2 & 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 6 fresh thyme sprigs
Broth and Liquids
- 10-12 cups chicken or turkey broth (or broth made with 8 cups chicken broth plus 4 cups water with 4 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Turkey Base)
Vegetables
- 4-5 large carrots, chopped
- 1 & 1/2 cups celery, chopped
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
- 2 cups coleslaw cabbage (or more to taste)
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 yellow squash, chopped
- 1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes (fire roasted preferred)
- 1 (14-oz) can white beans, drained
Optional Garnishes
- Chopped parsley (optional, low calorie)
- Pesto (optional, not low calorie)
- Parmesan cheese (optional, not low calorie)
Instructions
- Sauté Turkey and Onion: In a large soup pot (at least 6 quarts), add ground turkey and chopped onion. Cook over medium-high heat, crumbling the turkey as it cooks until browned and onion is softened.
- Drain Fat: Turn off heat and carefully drain the rendered fat from the pot by tilting and using a spoon into a foil-lined bowl. Refrigerate the fat to harden, then discard it.
- Add Garlic and Spices: Turn heat back to medium. Add minced garlic and all spices including kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, celery seed, basil, crushed red pepper, and thyme if using dried. Cook, stirring, until the spices are fragrant and garlic is softened.
- Add Broth: Pour in 10-12 cups of broth. This can be all chicken broth, or a combination of chicken broth and water mixed with turkey base. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat.
- Add Vegetables and Tomatoes: Add chopped carrots, celery, sweet potato, coleslaw cabbage, the can of diced tomatoes including juice, and white beans. If using fresh thyme sprigs, add them now.
- Simmer Soup: Reduce heat to medium to keep a gentle simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes until carrots and sweet potato are nearly fork tender.
- Add Squash: Stir in chopped zucchini and yellow squash. Continue simmering for another 5-10 minutes until these vegetables are tender.
- Skim Foam and Remove Thyme: Skim off any foam that has collected on top. If using fresh thyme, remove and discard the stems.
- Serve and Garnish: Serve the soup hot. Garnish individual servings with chopped parsley for a low-calorie option, or a spoonful of pesto and shredded parmesan for extra flavor but added calories.
Notes
- This soup is ideal for weight loss as it is low-calorie but filling due to the high vegetable content and lean ground turkey.
- You can customize the vegetables based on preference or availability; for example, omit sweet potato if desired and add more carrots.
- The soup base is versatile – using turkey broth or chicken broth with turkey base adds rich flavor.
- Fat draining after browning the turkey helps keep the soup light and healthy.
- Optional garnishes like pesto and parmesan add flavor but increase calories.
- This soup keeps well in the fridge and tastes even better the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 169 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 539 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
