Ground Turkey Soup with Beans & Spinach

This hearty soup recipe is one of my family’s favorite meals, and it’s one of mine, too, because it’s so easy to make. Sometimes, when we hear the word “soup”, it conjures up an image of long hours standing over the stove simmering the soup. Put that image to rest! This soup is ready in less than a half hour.

I love to give you ideas for easy weeknight meals because I know that’s what most people are looking for. I know that I sure am! Life is busy but we still want to feed our families healthy meals and this ground turkey soup fits the bill perfectly.

Hearty Ground Turkey Soup

A homemade meal in minutes (without resorting to processed food). I make this soup often on weeknights when I just don’t have time to make what I had planned. I know there are plenty of canned soups you can buy, but after trying this easy soup recipe, you’ll be spoiled for canned soups. This homemade soup is just so much better-tasting.

Made with pantry staples. Meal planning is great and it’s important when you make your grocery list, but it’s also essential to have a well-stocked pantry and freezer. This is one of those recipes that uses items that I almost always have on hand. When I’m stuck for a dinner idea, out come those pantry staples to save the day. I can make a meal that’s healthy and easy, with no last-minute trips to the grocery store required.

Easy to adapt. I can hear you thinking, well, I don’t have exactly what the recipe calls for in my pantry. This recipe can easily be changed to use what you have on hand. Keep reading for ideas.

Ingredient Notes

Here’s what I keep in my stocked pantry/fridge/freezer to make recipes like these:

• Ground Turkey: Any type of ground meat (including bulk sausage) is good to have on hand for a quick dinner. If the meat is frozen, put it in the fridge in the morning to thaw, or use your microwave to thaw it before you cook the soup.
• Chicken Broth or Stock: This is soup so you need some type of broth or stock. I always keep a few cartons of broth in my pantry. It can be used in many of my recipes. I usually buy low sodium broth so I can season the soup the way that I like it.
• Diced Tomatoes: Keep a good variety of canned tomatoes in your pantry. You’ll find that there are so many ways to use canned tomatoes, for soups, sauces, casseroles, etc.
• Canned Beans: This recipe uses great Northern beans but I typically have black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, and cannellini beans on my shelves as well. (If you’re not a fan of beans, try my meatball soup. It’s somewhat similar to this recipe but features meatballs made with ground turkey, and pasta instead of beans.)
• Onions: You should always have fresh onions on hand. They are a must-have for so many recipes. Regular yellow cooking onions don’t have to be refrigerated and keep well in a cool, dry place.
• Garlic. Like onions, a head of garlic is essential and can be stored in a cool, dry place as well.
• Grated Parmesan Cheese: Doesn’t everyone have the ubiquitous green can of cheese in their house? I swear, my husband would sprinkle it on everything he eats! It’s shelf-stable although I usually refrigerate it after opening it.
• Spinach. I always have baby spinach in my fridge. Always. If I don’t, I’m headed to the store. It cooks very quickly and adds those important leafy greens to your menu.
• Seasoning: Keep a good selection of spices and dried herbs in your pantry. This recipe uses oregano, red pepper flakes, and basil, along with salt and pepper.

How to Make Ground Turkey Soup

Brown the meat and onions. Heat up your soup pot with olive oil. To that, add ground turkey, chopped onions, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and ground black pepper, to taste.

Cook this mixture over medium heat, breaking up the ground meat so it’s not in huge chunks, and stirring so everything cooks evenly. It will take about 7 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when there’s no longer any pink in the meat and the onions are translucent.

Add the canned tomatoes, beans, and dried herbs. Rinse and drain the beans first. You don’t want that sludgy juicy stuff in your soup. You don’t have to drain the tomatoes though. The tomato juice adds to the broth and flavors it. Add the dried oregano and basil, too.

PILE on the spinach. It will look like a lot at first but it wilts down to practically nothing. You can do this in batches if need be but if you have a big pan, it will probably fit. Cover for a couple of minutes to let the spinach wilt. Stir the spinach a couple of times to help it wilt more quickly.

Add broth. Add chicken broth/stock and bring the soup to a simmer to make sure it is steaming hot. 

Add the cheese. Once the soup is hot and you’re ready to serve it, remove the pan from heat and sprinkle in the grated Parmesan cheese. This is what makes it really, really good. If you’re not a cheese-lover, your soup will still taste great, but the cheese does add a lot of flavor.

Add salt. Parmesan cheese is fairly salty so I don’t add salt to the soup right away. After you stir in the cheese, taste the soup and add salt, if needed.

Your soup is ready to eat! A healthy soup recipe ready in 20 minutes that’s good for you, is ready in less than 30 minutes, and doesn’t come from a can — isn’t that a winner?!

Recipe Variations

Everyone is different and you might not keep your pantry stocked just like mine. This recipe can be changed to reflect what you keep on hand and what your family likes.

• Use whatever ground meat you prefer. You might not like ground turkey. Ground beef is fine or try this recipe with Italian sausage, it’s phenomenal! Ground chicken will work, too.
• Try a different green. Maybe you don’t have baby spinach. Try a different tender green such as baby kale, Swiss chard, or escarole. If you are using regular kale, cook the soup 5 minutes longer to make sure the kale gets tender.
• Substitute different canned beans (or use pasta instead). Any type of white bean works well, such as cannellini, great Northern, or navy beans. If you’re not a fan of beans, substitute a small pasta, such as ditalini. Follow the package directions for cooking time. Pasta will take about 10 minutes or so to cook, so you’ll have to add a little extra time.

Storing Leftovers

Refrigerate/Freeze: If you happen to have soup leftover, refrigerate it in a covered container. It will keep for a few days, or freeze it for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheat: Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave. Larger amounts can be reheated on the stove in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through.