There’s nothing like a steaming bowl of soup to warm up a cold night or a rainy day. This Ground Turkey and Kale Soup is especially nice because it’s so healthy but still filling, thanks to the rice and turkey. Plus, you really can’t go wrong when a recipe starts with cooking shallots, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper together in olive oil. Am I right?
I also love this recipe because there’s almost no clean up. I enjoy a clean kitchen. I also don’t want to spend an hour cleaning up after every meal. That makes this recipe ideal. Everything gets layered into one pot. Your veggies first, then turkey, then your broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, rice, and herbs. Once you add in the kale, you can clean up while the soup simmers.
You can add a garnish of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, which my daughter loves, but I’m also partial to adding some freshly chopped parsley or scallions from the garden. A sprinkling of fresh herbs is just enough to transform this from a darn fine soup to a little bowl of heaven.
Soups like this are also easy to double if you want to plan ahead. Make a big batch and have some for dinner, then freeze the rest. The next cold, gusty evening when the winds are rattling the windows and there’s frost in the air, grab your soup from the freezer and let it heat up on the stove while you relax in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot tea.
Bonus! You don’t have to stick strictly to the recipe, either. Use Swiss chard instead of kale or add chicken in place of turkey. Switch out the white rice for the earthier flavor of a long-grain brown rice or even wild rice. That’s the beauty of a recipe like this Ground Turkey and Kale Soup. It’s versatile enough that you can make it yours or use the ingredients you have on hand.
Ground Turkey and Kale Soup
This hearty and healthy ground turkey and kale soup is a bonafide people pleaser, with just enough tender kale and filling turkey to make even the pickiest eaters happy.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Soups
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced shallots
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
- 3 garlic cloves, minced 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked white rice (see Note)
- 4 cups kale, stemmed, leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrots, celery, and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the turkey, season with the salt and black pepper, and cook, stirring, until the turkey is fully cooked, 6 to 7 minutes.
- Add the herbes de Provence and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the broth, tomatoes, and rice. Bring to a boil.
- Add the kale, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Ladle into bowls, garnish with parsley and Parmesan, and serve.
Notes
- One-third cup dry rice equals about 1 cup cooked rice
Have you had a chance to try this recipe? What did you think?