hearty turkey minestrone soup

I love eating soup all winter long and this turkey minestrone soup is one of my favorites. It’s simple to make, and very forgiving. If you miss an ingredient here or there, it’s still going to taste delicious.

Soup is so healing for a couple different reasons.

First, it’s an easy way to get more bone broth into your body. Homemade is best and cheaper, but there are loads of other off the shelf options that truly are made with real food ingredients, like Kettle and Fire or Epic Artisanal Bone Broth. Bone broth can help reduce inflammation, help with sports recovery, and is always good for our hair, skin and nails due to the high amount of collagen.

Second, soup is often really easy for our body to digest. Since the food is cooked, it’s easier for our digestive system to further break down the food and really use the nutrients present. It’s a gentle way to reintroduce food if you or another family member has been sick with a stomach bug.

healthy turkey minestrone soup recipe Emily Roach

What is Minestrone Soup?

Minestrone tends to be a thick soup of Italian origin, made with vegetables, often with the addition of pasta or rice, sometimes both. Common ingredients include beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock, and tomatoes.

I’ve often called it my “kitchen sink” soup. Everything goes in except the kitchen sink. It’s a great way to clean out your refrigerator and make your meal planning super simple. The turkey minestrone soup recipe also makes a large amount so you can freeze some in individual serving sizes to prep ahead. (I use these glass mason jars and freeze them. Just leave about 2” of space from the top to allow for expansion when frozen.)

Here’s a common list of ingredients you can find in minestrone soup. The key thing is to make it your own, but start with a recipe like the one I share below.

  • cannellini beans
  • chicken stock
  • cabbage
  • potato
  • pasta or rice
  • zucchini
  • carrots
  • plum tomatoes
  • Parmesan cheese

Easy turkey minestrone soup

Winter Comfort Food

The turkey minestrone soup is a spin off of a vegetarian minestrone soup I often make in the late spring months. I find I need more protein and something a little heartier in the cold, winter months of New England. This soup is so good I even ate it for breakfast a few times!

If you love making soup, don’t miss my freebie download here to grab a few more of my favorite soup recipes. Click here for the free printable recipes!

My kids don’t often love soup, but they might have it if I strain out some of the broth. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. It truly depends on the mood they are in, and I can’t control that. And just because they don’t love soup doesn’t mean I’m never going to serve soup. We have to keep reintroducing new things to them, even if they turn their nose up at them. One day, they might just surprise you.

A quick note about finding high quality ground turkey. If I’m in a store, I’ll look for organic, pastured turkey. More often, I’ll order a bunch through Farmers to You and pick it up every other week. This is an awesome option for farm fresh meats and produce if you are in the Massachusetts area.

Turkey Minestrone Soup

Easy turkey minestrone soup

Turkey Minestrone Soup

Simple minestrone soup for a cold, winter's night.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: minestrone, soup, turkey
Servings: 4
Author: Emily Roach

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground turkey organic, pastured
  • 4 tbl olive oil extra virgin
  • 3 carrots diced
  • 3 celery diced
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbl sea salt
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 2 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 4 cup chicken bone broth or beef broth
  • 2 cup water
  • 1 can navy beans or cannellini
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes 15 oz jars
  • 1 cup short grain brown rice Lundenburg
  • Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese optional

Instructions

  • In a large Dutch Oven or saucepan, add olive oil. Brown the turkey until cooked through.
  • Add the diced vegetables (except garlic) and cook until softened, about 4-6 minutes on medium heat.
  • Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Next, add in the balance of ingredients through rice.
  • Check the soup midway through. If the rice has absorbed too much water, just add another cup or two of water or bone broth.
  • Sprinkle with Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, or leave out for Whole30/Paleo compliant.
Tried this recipe?Mention @emilyroachwellness or tag #erwellness!

Slow Cooker Turkey Minestrone Soup Directions

Here’s an easy way to make this even easier, and come home to dinner ready to go. You can add everything into the slow cooker once the turkey and veggies are cooked through. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or high for 4 hours. (I prefer the low and slow option.) You can also cook the ground turkey the night before, and then add everything to the slow cooker in the morning before running out the door. Skip cooking the veggies ahead of time to save even more time in the kitchen.

Turkey Minestrone Soup Recipe

Simple slow cooker turkey chili is a healthy dinner for the whole family. Dairy free, gluten free and full of vegetables, plus a secret ingredient.

It’s Sunday and snowing yet again. Is it spring yet? With the chill still in the air, this week’s menu plan features lots of slow cooker recipes, soups and easy dinners. We are trying to incorporate some additional meatless meals and if you have a great recipe, please share.

Meal Plan Board Feb 2012

On the menu this week…

Sunday~ Italian Medallion Chicken with spaghetti and stir fry veggies on the side. This is one of Wildtree Freezer meals.

Monday~ Use the leftover chicken and make a caesar salad. If time allows, I think I’ll make the dressing from scratch using this recipe, except I’ll use anchovy paste instead of fillets.

Tuesday~ Sweet and Sour Meatballs in the slow cooker/Ninja. So nice to cook the meatballs in the Ninja and then dump all the rest in. Served on a skewer the kids should love this new recipe.

Wednesday~ I’m attempting a meatless chili…going to wing it using black and pinto beans, homemade salsa, corn and tomatoes frozen from the summer and some fresh peppers.

Thursday~ CORN {Clean Out Refrigerator Night}

Friday~ Chickpea Stew with Apricots (repeat meatless meal that I loved!) Great option during the Lenten season.

Saturday~ Pizza

Sunday~ Cabbage Rolls in the slow cooker

What are you making this week? For more inspiration, see past weeks menus here, or the Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of meal plans.

BundleoftheWeek.com, 5 eBooks for $7.40!

Happy February! I’m relieved this is a quiet week for us. After two birthdays, two cupcake parties at school, one Princess and Pirate party and a Superbowl, we are ready for a little detox. This week we are trying to clear out the freezer meals and start tackling the pantry stockpile. It’s always better to keep your dry goods cycling through and I realized we have a little corner that hasn’t gotten much love lately.

Monday Meal Plan February 4 2012 Random Recycling

Sunday~  Daddy made calzones for the big game. Delicious!

Monday~ Chicken Lime Fajitas. (Wildtree freezer meal) Brown rice on the side made in the pressure cooker.

Tuesday~ Minestrone Soup. Defrost homemade chicken broth the night before.

Wednesday~ Italian marinated flank steak (Wildtree freezer meal). Roasted green beans and leftover brown rice.

Thursday~ C.O.R.N. {Clean Out Refrigerator Night}

Friday~ Pizza night

For lunches, we have some deli meat to use up and black beans and rice.

Our little guy turned two today! He was a happy guy all day, until he had to go to bed and started tugging on his ear. Crossing my fingers it won’t be one of those weeks!

Collage of little guy over two years.

For more meal planning inspiration, check out all the past meal plans here, or check out OrgJunkie for other ideas.

 

 

Slow Cooker Tomato Soup at RandomRecycling.com

Ever try to make your own Tomato Soup?  After reading the label on my favorite tomato soup, I decided to test out other organic options.  Nothing ever hit the mark.  I’ve cooked it before on the stove and never really been happy with the results.  Finally tried it in the crock pot and it came out fabulous!  I served it alongside grilled cheese sandwiches for a simple dinner one night, then added barley to it to make it into a lunch.

Slow Cooker Tomato Soup at RandomRecycling.com

CROCK POT TOMATO SOUP

Course: Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 large Onion chopped.
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 28 oz Can of Whole Tomatoes
  • 1/2 Cup White Wine I used Sauvingnon Blanc
  • 1 Tbl Sugar
  • 1 Tsp Dried Tarragon
  • Sea Salt
  • Sour Cream for serving

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, melt the butter on medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 15 minutes until softened. Stir often. (Or, set slow cooker to saute and complete this task in the main cooker.)
  • Add tomatoes (do not drain), wine, sugar and tarragon into the crock pot. Add onion and butter. Cover and cook on Low for 5 hours.
  • Puree using an Immersion Blender
  • or in a blender in batches. Season with salt. Serve with cold sour cream.
Tried this recipe?Mention @emilyroachwellness or tag #erwellness!

Enjoy!