Turkey White Bean Soup Recipe With Leafy Greens Is Nutrition In a Bowl (High-Protein, High-Fiber) by Terri Kendrick

When the weather turns cooler, I always crave a big pot of soup. There's just something about spending the afternoon stirring together the meat, beans and spices, the savory aroma permeating the house and ladling the steaming finished product into bowls and devouring it. The whole experience warms my body … and my heart! Enter this high-fiber and high-protein hearty turkey and white bean soup recipe.

This New York Times Cooking soup recipe intrigued me thanks to its lemony finish, so I put my own spin on it, increasing a few ingredients here and substituting a few ingredients there. The result was a hearty ground turkey soup with a surprising tang that warmed up a chilly evening for me and my husband (we both went back for seconds!). I imagine the leftovers for lunch will be even better!

To make this tasty turkey soup you will need ground turkey, carrots, onion, olive oil, cans of white beans, leafy greens (think kale, spinach, mustard greens, etc.), tomato paste, chicken stock, ground cumin, red pepper (cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes), garlic, ground ginger, fresh parsley, fresh lemons (secret ingredient) and salt and pepper.

Photo credit: under license from BigStock

Cooking Tip: Don’t waste the rest of your can of tomato paste! Open both ends of the can, removing one of the lids. Use the other lid to push about a tablespoon’s worth of the tube of tomato paste out the open end. Slice it off onto a sheet of wax paper, doing the same with the remainder of the can. Place these slices of tomato paste in the freezer uncovered. Once the slices are frozen, peel them off the wax paper and store in a plastic food storage bag. You’ll have a tablespoon of tomato paste whenever you need it!

Before you take that first spoonful, read about the health benefits of protein and the health benefits of fiber. Plus turkey, beans and leafy greens are recommended foods to eat during menopause.

Serve this delicious ground turkey vegetable soup for lunch or dinner. 

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 45 ounces (3 cans) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups greens, such as kale, broccoli rabe, mustard greens or collard greens (pull leaves off the stems and chop into bite-sized pieces)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper, plus more to taste
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 3 tablespoons dried parsley
• juice of 2 lemons

Here’s how to make it:

1. Drizzle the olive oil in the bottom of a large stockpot and heat over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and carrot until soft and browning at the edges, about 7 to 10 minutes.
   
2. Add the tomato paste, cumin and red pepper to the vegetables and sauté another minute or two. Crumble the ground turkey in the pot, adding the garlic, ginger and salt. Cook the turkey until browned.
   
3. Add the stock and beans, bringing the mixture to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the greens to the pot and cook until the greens are very soft. (If you like a thicker broth, mash some of the beans with the back of a spoon. Most greens take five to 10 minutes to soften; whereas, collard greens, which are tougher, may take longer.)
   
4. Stir the parsley and lemon juice into the pot and taste. (You can use fresh parsley instead of dried, but double the amount.) The soup should be tangy and savory. If it needs extra flavor, add more salt, cumin, lemon or red pepper. When you serve, drizzle the bowl with a little olive oil. (If you reheat leftover soup, you may want to add another splash of lemon juice.)
   

Photo credit: Terri Kendrick

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