This ground turkey soup is hearty, filling, and extra nutritious! Loaded with veggies and infused with fresh herbs, it's the kind of cozy meal that makes any day better.
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I live for hearty, creamy soups, and this ground turkey soup is my latest obsession.
It's made with simple ingredients and has loads of flavor from a mix of fresh herbs. It's also packed with veggies and lean protein for a satisfying yet good-for-you dinner.
If this is not your first time on Skinny Spatula, you know that I love chunky soups more than anything - if you haven't tried my Mexican Meatball Soup, now's the time to check it out!
This vegetable soup with ground turkey checks all the boxes I love in a cozy soup, and I could honestly eat it every day.
Why you'll love this ground turkey soup
- The flavors are absolutely on point, and the broth is creamy yet quite light.
- It's a one-pot recipe so less washing up to do -yay!
- Leftovers taste amazing, so a big batch could mean delicious lunches for a couple of days.
Ingredients you'll need
Pancetta - Right, so this is optional, but I found that just a bit of crispy pancetta sets up an incredible flavor base for my ground turkey soup.
Onion, carrot and celery - obviously, the base of any good soup! Dice them on the smaller side so they cook quickly.
Ground turkey - I opted for lean ground turkey to keep things light, but you can use your favorite.
Garlic - What's a creamy broth without garlic? Let's face it - I only wrote two garlic cloves because the recipe card asks for a quantity. Go with your heart here.
Fresh herbs - I used a mix of fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage, and the flavors are divine. You can also use dried herbs or an Italian seasoning mix.
Potatoes - Yukon Gold potatoes (or Maris Piper in the UK) are perfect for soups like this as they don't fall apart quickly.
Low-fat cream-I used reduced-fat cream in this soup to keep the broth light. Use your favorite or substitute with coconut cream for a dairy-free option.
Parmesan - Because a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese makes everything better!
Pro tip
Top each bowl with extra freshly grated Parmesan for an even more cheesy, nutty flavor.
How to make ground turkey soup
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the pancetta for 2-3 minutes until slightly crispy.
Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 8-10 minutes until softened.
Next, add the lean ground turkey and cook for 4-5 minutes until no longer pink. Break it up with your spoon as you go.
Stir in the garlic, fresh rosemary, thyme, sage and red chili flakes and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add the potatoes and chicken stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Stir in the low-fat cream and grated Parmesan.
Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and serve hot, with some extra grated Parmesan on top if you like.
Substitutions and variations
- Swap out the potatoes with cauliflower for a low-carb option. Sweet potatoes are another great choice.
- Add some leafy greens such as spinach or kale at the end of cooking for a nutritional boost.
- Make the ground turkey soup extra hearty by using pasta instead of potatoes.
What to serve with ground turkey soup
- Fresh crusty bread is my top choice for this soup. I often serve it with my crispy rosemary focaccia.
- Crackers go great with this soup - opt for high-fiber ones for a healthier meal, or go for more gourmet crackers with herbs or cheese.
- Pair the soup with a simple green or kale salad for a light and refreshing side.
Recipe notes and tips
- You can use any kind of ground meat in this recipe - chicken, beef or even pork all work great.
- If you're planning to freeze the soup, skip the cream and only add it on the day of serving.
- Make the soup spicier if you love a bit of heat by increasing the amount of red chili flakes or by adding a chopped jalapeño with the garlic.
Leftovers and storage
- Allow the soup to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- The soup freezes well for up to 3 months, but the texture might be a bit different when thawed because of the cream.
- Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop, or you can do it in short bursts in the microwave.
If you liked this ground turkey soup recipe, you might also like some of my other soups:
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Ground Turkey Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3.5 oz (100 g) pancetta
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2-3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 pound (450 g) lean ground turkey
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2-3 fresh sage leaves, sliced
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 cups (1.25 l) chicken stock
- 1 cup (250 ml) low-fat cream
- ⅓ cup (30 g) Parmesan, grated
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the pancetta for 2-3 minutes until slightly crispy.1 tablespoon olive oil3.5 oz pancetta
- Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 8-10 minutes until softened.1 large onion2 medium carrots2-3 celery stalks
- Next, add the lean ground turkey and cook for 4-5 minutes until no longer pink. Break it up with your spoon as you go.1 pound lean ground turkey
- Stir in the garlic, fresh rosemary, thyme, sage and red chili flakes and cook for another minute until fragrant.2 large garlic cloves1 tablespoon fresh rosemary1 tablespoon fresh thyme2-3 fresh sage leaves¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- Add the potatoes and chicken stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.3 medium potatoes5 cups chicken stock
- Stir in the low-fat cream and grated Parmesan.1 cup low-fat cream⅓ cup Parmesan
- Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and serve hot, with some extra grated Parmesan on top if you like.Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving and is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Eva says
I cooked it last night. It was sooo tasty!!! Will be adding to my meal rotation. Thank you!
Joey Boccoluccci says
I’ve made this a few times and it’s a family favorite. I was wondering if this is something that could be made in the crockpot for a few hours?
Alice says
So glad it's become a family favourite, Joey! Yes, I think it would work well in the slow cooker. I'd brown the turkey first for extra flavour, then add everything except the pasta and cook on low for about 4–6 hours. I'd add the pasta towards the end so it doesn't get too soft. Let me know if you try it!
Sharon Shahidi says
Delicious and very filling!
Ginny says
Making this tonight, but can I say how much I loved that the directions included the recipe ingredient amounts in the directions! So much easier than scrolling back & forth.
Alice says
I'm so glad you found that feature useful, Ginny! I love it myself, comes in very handy 🙂
Donna L Stallings says
I added barley to thicken it a bit more. I couldn’t find the pancetta in my area, but it turned out delicious. I meal prep so I will see what it tastes like after three days. Love this recipe for fall/winter meal with crackers.
Norm says
I used what I had: pasta instead of potatoes, tomatoes/peas instead of carrots. It was easy and turned out great.
Sarah says
This was quick to assemble and very tasty! I used turkey bacon and full fat coconut milk and it worked great — you would never know it was dairy free. The added red pepper flakes added a touch of heat. It was so good that we didn’t even need the parm cheese! Served with a kale salad and crackers. Definitely going into the soup rotation. Thanks!
S. Cole says
So good I'm making it again! Thank you!
Dawn says
Just made this today on an 80 degree Spring Day… added a little chopped leek, sweet potato and meadow mushrooms (trying to use up my produce box)…it tasted delicious and the kitchen smells like Thanksgiving❤️🦃
Alice says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the soup, Dawn!
Katarzyna says
Delicious! I made broth from leftover thanksgiving turkey bones and a little flour to thicken the soup ( liquid but smooth). Yummy!
Sarah says
This was DELICIOUS! I subbed a cup of chicken stock for better than bouillon (vegetable) and added more red pepper because I like it spicy. Delicious, hearty, and a flavorful broth. Thank you!
Maria Hyde says
Made it twice in a week!!!!! Love love love this soup
Jina Nunez says
This soup is excellent! I added 1 additional pound of ground turkey and used coconut cream. Turned out amazing!
Amy says
This was great! I used what an had in the kitchen. I used Italian Herb Blend, and Greek yogurt because I did not have cream. Also, I used sun dried tomatoes in place of pancetta. Added about 2 cups of chopped kale.
Amanda says
This recipe is fantastic! I changed a few things due to what I had available at home already: swapped out the pancetta with bacon, used coconut cream, and dried instead of fresh herbs. I also added kale (excellent suggestion from the recipe). But I followed the rest of the recipe exactly as is and it came out absolutely delicious! I made an extra batch for my sister too since this is right up her alley in terms of food choices. 100% would make this again and again.
Stella says
This was so filling , will make again!