This turkey vegetable soup is perfect for busy weeknights. It’s quick, inexpensive, filling, and healthy. I’ll show you how to cook it on the stovetop or in the slow cooker.
Winter has never been my favorite season. I’m not a big fan of the cold, and during grad school winter days were particularly long. I’d get up early and head to school some mornings in the dark, only to return home in the dark that evening. Luckily, my housemate, Margo, was often at home cooking something delicious. She was always willing to share, and we ended more days than I can count eating something good together, laughing, and watching reality TV. School was hard for both of us. There were days when I’d have a bad critique or a neuro exam I was sure I failed, and days when she witnessed sadness or pain that was hard to relay – cancer patients, psych patients, burn unit patients. We were both just taking it all in….learning a lot.
As a true extrovert, time with close friends has always been a balm for me. Those meals and evening hours spent laughing in our little den got me through the long days. They are such a bright spot in my memory, and I think of them every time I make one of Margo’s recipes! This is a recipe I return to over and over because it is so dang easy. Plus you can make it on the stovetop or in the slow cooker!
I love this soup for a few reasons: it’s quick, the ingredients are inexpensive, it’s surprisingly filling, and it’s healthy! You can serve it with a piece of toasted sourdough bread, but most of the time we just eat a bowl (or two) on its own.
What’s In It?
- Ground turkey – you can go as lean as you want here. The recipe requires one pound, but of course you can double it and freeze some for later. Not a fan of ground turkey? Sub ground beef or ground chicken!
- Chicken stock – You can use a store-bought stock, a homemade stock if you have it, or a water & stock concentrate combo. I like to use better than bullion concentrated stock, as it’s always at the ready in my fridge.
- 28 oz cans of diced and crushed tomatoes – I find that the combo of half diced and half crushed gives me a nice tomato-based broth with the chunks of tomatoes that I want in there as well.
- Frozen mixed vegetables – Choose your favorites from the frozen aisle at the grocery! More on this below…
- Seasonings – you can vary these depending on your taste, but I like to use salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Nothing fancy!
A Note on the Veggies:
This recipe calls for 24 oz of frozen mixed vegetables. You can buy two 12 oz bags of any veggie you like, but here’s what I like to buy at Kroger:
- 12 oz frozen vegetable soup mix (a mix of carrots, potatoes, super sweet corn, green beans, green peas, baby lima beans, okra, celery, and onions)
- 12 oz California Style Vegetables (a mix of broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, and carrot medallions)
This mix means that I get a good variety of veggies, and I like that some are small diced and some are whole florets. Just browse the frozen veg section and find whatever combo you like best!
Optional Add-Ins
If I’m in the mood for something even more filling, I’ll add in 1.5 cups uncooked whole grain penne. You could also use a bow-tie, rotini, or whatever shape you like! If you love spice, you can add 1 tablespoons of crushed red pepper flakes right into the soup. Or you can serve up bowls of soup with Tabasco
Stovetop vs. Slow Cooker
I switch up which way I make this soup depending on how much time I have. If you’re meal prepping and love to plan ahead, the slow cooker is a great option for you. In the morning before work you’ll just brown the ground turkey and add it to the slow cooker along with the canned tomatoes, broth, veggies, and seasonings. Give it a good stir and leave it to simmer on low for 4-6 hours.
If you’d rather just make this the old-fashioned way on the stove, you’ll just brown the meat in a dutch oven or large pot. Then add in the tomatoes, broth, veggies, and seasonings and simmer it for 30 – 45 minutes, until the veggies have cooked and the flavors have melded. Scroll down for more detailed recipe instructions!
