Hearty ground turkey soup with vegetables is a clean and comforting meal perfect for soothing the belly and soul. Make it if you’re feeling under the weather, or if you just love a great nourishing soup recipe!
This is a curl-up-on-the-couch-in-your-fuzzy-socks-when-it’s-snowing-outside kind of soup.
Or a clean cold-busting remedy that tastes amazing but isn’t your typical chicken noodle soup soup.
I made this hearty soup on repeat back when my IBS was at its worst. It was one of my favorite recipes for soothing my belly while making me feel energized and satisfied.
Ever since I first made it, this healthy ground turkey soup recipe has been one of my favorite weeknight meals that instantly satisfies the soul.
It can also serve as the ultimate breakup soup, the sultry love soup, the soup to uplift, soup for the full heart, a meal to enhance your already bodacious bod, and/or the soup to heal all wounds.
If you enjoy hearty soups, you’re bound to love this healthy recipe.
All things considered, this ground turkey soup recipe is:
Recipe Highlights
- Gluten-Free and Grain-Free
- Dairy-Free, yet nice and creamy
- Paleo
- Whole30
- Filling and comforting, yet easy on the digestive system
Let’s discuss the healthy ingredients in this delicious soup, as each one plays and important role.
Ingredients for Ground Turkey Soup:
Bacon: Thick-cut bacon is cooked to crispy perfection to add tremendous flavor to the soup. The bacon fat is then used to sauté the vegetables and cook the ground turkey meat. If you don’t do bacon, replace the bacon with 2 tablespoons of avocado oil or olive oil.
Yellow Onion: Bringing robust flavor to the soup, some fresh onion goes a long way in boosting the flavor profile. If you’re a garlic lover, add in 3 cloves of minced garlic.
Lean Ground Turkey: The star of the show! Ground turkey brings a big boost of protein without adding additional fat to the soup. This high-protein soup recipe is so pleasing on the belly.
Yukon Gold Potatoes: Adding cozy carbs to this healthy soup recipe, baby yukon gold potatoes are added in. Swap them for red potatoes, russet potatoes, sweet potato, or skip them for a low-carb soup recipe.
Carrots: A couple carrots bring a touch of sweetness and soft texture to the soup.
Zucchini: Fresh zucchini squash adds bulk to the recipe, in addition to some fiber and nutrients. Swap it for yellow squash if you’d like.
Chicken Broth: Use your favorite chicken broth, chicken stock, vegetable broth, or even beef stock for the liquid in this delicious ground turkey soup recipe.
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: A huge flavor enhancer, full-fat canned coconut milk brings silky smooth texture and rich flavor.
Be sure to use full-fat coconut milk from the can. I don’t recommend replacing this with any other type of non-dairy milk as there isn’t enough fat content in other kinds of plant-based milks.
You can use 2 cups of half & half instead of coconut milk if you do dairy.
Baby Spinach: Bringing an infusion of antioxidants, iron, and folate, fresh spinach boosts the nutrient profile of this healthy dinner recipe.
Sea Salt: Add sea salt to your personal taste.
Optional Additions or Changes:
- If you enjoy the flavor of tomato based soups, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of tomato paste or one can of diced tomatoes.
- For my bean lovers, add one can of white beans, black beans, or garbanzo beans.
- Mix it up with various veggies, including bell pepper, green beans, sweet corn, or broccoli.
- Add ⅓ cup white rice or brown rice.
- Leave out the potatoes for low-carb (or replace them with cauliflower).
- Skip the onion to make the recipe low-FODMAP.
- Omit the bacon and use 2 tablespoons of avocado oil if you don’t have bacon on hand.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes or artichoke hearts.
- Stir in 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning for some herby flavor.
- Drizzle your bowl of soup with lemon juice or lime juice, or add lemon zest and lemon juice to the soup pot.
- Substitute other leafy greens like kale or chard for the spinach.
Now that we’ve covered the simple ingredients for ground turkey vegetable soup, let’s whip it up!
How to Make Hearty Ground Turkey Soup with Vegetables:
Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook until much of the fat has rendered, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Scoot the onions off to the side of the pot and add the ground turkey (or sausage). Brown for 2 minutes, flip, and brown another 1 to 2 minutes. Use a spatula to chop the meat into smaller pieces.
Add the remaining ingredients except the spinach to the pot, cover, and bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and continue cooking 20 to 30 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about another 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve the soup with your favorite gluten-free cornbread, gluten-free sandwich bread or cheese and herb Irish soda bread, and enjoy!
This hearty ground turkey recipe tastes even better the next day and the 3-4 days following prep. Feel free to make it in advance to allow extra flavor to develop!
How to Store Ground Turkey Soup:
Store ground turkey soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. This recipe also freezes very well! I suggest double bagging the soup in two large zip lock bags or freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
This great recipe can also be prepared in the pressure cooker or slow cooker in addition to a large stock pot.
The best thing about this flavorful soup is it only requires a few minutes of active prep time and wholesome ingredients you can find at any grocery store. The whole family is guaranteed to love it during the colder months of the year.
If you’re looking for more healing soup recipes, try these reader favorites!
More Healthy Soup Recipes:
- Immunity-Boosting Turmeric Chicken Soup
- Instant Pot Paleo Pumpkin Chili
- Ground Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Instant Pot Steak and Potato Soup
- Zucchini and Yellow Squash Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup with Rice
- Ground Turkey Taco Soup
Enjoy this delicious recipe during soup season or any time of year when a comfort food craving strikes.
Hearty Ground Turkey Soup with Vegetables
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1 lb ground turkey *
- 3 small yukon gold potatoes chopped
- 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 medium zucchini squash chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook until much of the fat has rendered, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Scoot the onions off to the side of the pot and add the ground turkey (or sausage). Brown for 2 minutes, flip, and brown another 1 to 2 minutes. Use a spatula to chop the meat into smaller pieces.
- Add the remaining ingredients except the spinach to the pot, cover, and bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and continue cooking 20 to 30 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about another 2 to 3 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
I originally shared this recipe on February 26, 2020. I added information to the post to be more helpful, but the recipe itself remains the same.
Just made your recipe! Thank you so much! Light and healthy! My meal prep lunch for the week!
I’m happy to hear it, Leslley! Thanks so much for reporting back! xo
First off I can’t believe it says only 1/2 tsp of salt and in the video they never add salt or any seasonings to it which I am shocked about. I made the recipe how it says but added my own seasonings to it such as the spice called slap ya mamma!(its a real seasoning, look it up)Its a good blend and then i added some seasonings that gave it depth and I am happy with the outcome after that. I like that it had coconut milk instead of cream or regular milk. I like the zuchinni and spinach especially in the soup.
Making this right now! I have unsweetened coconut milk, is that the same thing as what your recipe calls for?
Hi Kelsea! Yup, unsweetened canned coconut milk is exactly what you want 🙂 Enjoy! xo
Can I freeze this soup? Thinking I might add spinach to individual bowls, that way could freeze the rest?
Also, can I add chopped rutabaga, (which I happen to have on hand, and needs to be used)?
Hi Joanna! The soup freezes great! You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Yes, feel free to add any vegetables you would like. Just note that certain hearty vegetables like rutabaga take longer to cook than other veggies, so I would add the rutabaga to the soup before adding any other veggies to be sure it cooks through.
I have made this several times since I stumbled across the recipe a couple of months ago. I was looking for something healthy and filling using turkey. I will continue making this soup as it is so yummy and easy to make. I refrigerate it and heat it up during weekdays and I love it! I am a very particular eater so when I find a recipe I like I am so thrilled.
Yaaay! Great success! I’m happy to hear you enjoy the soup, Shannon! Thanks so much for swinging back around to let us know! xo
Have you tried using an Instant Pot?
Hi Terrie! I haven’t, but I think it would work well in the Instant Pot. I would cook the bacon, sauté the onion and brown the meat using the sauté function, then add the rest of the ingredients in and pressure cook on High for 15 minutes then release the pressure (no natural release). My only concern is the zucchini may become very soft, so you may want to switch it out with a heartier veggie like cauliflower. Let me know if you try it!
Hi you don’t list the sodium?
Delicious! It was lacking flavor that spices add. Next time I’ll do 1t salt and 1/2 tsp pepper as well as 2-3 cloves garlic with the onions. Definitely will make again. All the veggies made it filling.
I’m so happy you enjoy it, Hannah! Good call on adding garlic 🙂 Enjoy!
If I make a double recipe can I freeze half?
Hi Barbara! I haven’t tried freezing the soup myself but in my experience anything that contains a lot of sauce/liquid and/or a decent amount of fat freezes nicely! For that reason, I think freezing it will work great! Hope you enjoy! xoxo
I used this recipe as one to try as a postpartum/breastfeeding meal, and I really enjoyed it! I was also one of the people concerned about the lack of seasoning on the ingredients list, but I didn’t really need it. I only seasoned my meat and added butter and the flavor was still pretty good. I used sweet potatoes and yellow squash instead and added fresh sage leaves as well as some vermicelli noodles. I would definitely make this again!
Ooh, I love the idea of adding noodles. Thanks so much for sharing, Jay!
Made this tonight for a snowy day meal. It was a hit for the entire family! Quick, easy and delicious! Even the 7 year old twins loved it!
It’s great to hear the kiddos enjoyed it, too! Definitely a cozy meal on a snowy/rainy day. Thanks so much for reporting back, Madison!! xox
That description is on point!!! It was the selling point for me to try it.. The only things I did differently from the recipe was a whole pack of bacon (I overlooked the 4 strips part), minced garlic, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning… I can’t get enough of this soup!! I doubled it & I am so thankful for doing so!! Whew… I’ll be telling everyone about this soup! Absolutely my new favorite!!
Ooooh YUM! I love the idea of adding bacon! Sounds so rich and delicious! Thank you for sharing, Terri! xoxo
Can this be frozen once cooked?
Hi Rachel!
I haven’t tried freezing the soup myself, but in my experience soups (and anything with a lot of broth or sauce) freeze very well. Since there is decent fat content in the soup from the coconut milk, it should hold up great! Hope you enjoy! xo
I’m inspired to try more of your recipes! This was very tasty! I found your site after searching for an extremely easy soup recipe with ground turkey. I really didn’t feel like cooking today, but your recipe seemed so quick and easy I figured I could do this, plus I HAD to do something with that package of ground turkey I had thawed out yesterday. I just happened to have the other ingredients on hand (used frozen green beans in lieu of zucchini). The coconut milk really changed things up! Definitely not a dairy cream, but definitely a nice addition to a soup. Thank you for the inspiration! – LJ, Anchorage, AK
So happy you stumbled on the recipe! It’s one of my favorites during the cold months of the year, and it’s so versatile! Thrilled it worked out for you! xoxo
Your blog has changed my life, lol! I have never found so many great recipes in one place. I share with all my friends! This soup is fabulous! I swapped kale for the spinach because that’s what I had and I didn’t put in the coconut milk. I’ve made so many of your res in a row and don’t want coconut in every thing I eat, haha 😂. I thought of adding oat milk for some creaminess but the soup holds it own without. Thanks for your hard work!
Thanks so much for the kind words, Michelle! I’m so happy you enjoy the soup! I love how versatile and filling it is 😀 Appreciate you swinging back around to leave a note! xoxo
How long will this hold up as leftovers? Wanted to make a pot and eat for lunch everyday this week. Curious if it is still good after being in fridge for 5 days?? Thanks
Hi Kara! The soup will keep for upwards of 7 days in the refrigerator. 🙂