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.
A new favorite. I use a sweet potato in place of white potatoes. Sometimes I add sliced mushroom
That sounds great, Cindy! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
This is one of our family’s favorite recipes. We try so many recipes and my daughter now requests this one on her birthday each year. We serve it with rosemary garlic biscuits and it is THE BEST! So full of flavor.
That’s so great to hear, Kristen! It’s a favorite for me too and I love that your daughter enjoys it enough to request it for her birthday – this is so heart-warming! Thanks for the sweet note! xo
I’ve never read a more thorough recipe & am so glad I came across this one. Love soup! Looking forward to more lovely recipes. I am gluten & lactose intolerant & was following some keto recipes to get by…I may do better following your site & may go with paleo. Is that what U focas on?Thanx.
Hi Milly! I make all sorts of recipes 🙂 Some are keto, some are paleo, dairy-free, vegan, etc. and some don’t fit a specific diet. Everything I post is gluten-free but I don’t stick to any diet on this site except for GF. Hope this helps!
I added a little Italian season and garlic however, after adding the coconut milk, it appeared it never completely dissolved and had a curdled look to it from the coconut fat I’m assuming. Kind of takes away from the aesthetics. Not sure what went wrong.
Hi Shelly! What brand of canned coconut milk did you use?
Very tasty!! Although I added spices since none were listed. The recipe says 15min prep, 30 min cook which isn’t true. Raw bacon is difficult to chop and it took a long time to cook since I doubled the recipe. It took almost 2 hours start to finish, but I will make it again.
Thanks so much for the feedback, Laura! xo
I am so happy I found this recipe…made it today and is sooooooooo delish~~! didn’t any anything….it’s perfect…ty 🙂
Aww I’m thrilled you enjoy it, Sue! Thanks so much for swinging back around to share your experience! xo
hi this looks amazing i was wondering can it be frozen? i am pregnant and would like make healthy freeze ahead meals during the last trimester 🙂
Hi Emily! I’ve received a lot of feedback from other individuals who have had success freezing the soup, so you should be good to go! Also, congratulations!! xo
Hi I’m making this tonight and was wondering if a can of cannelini beans would be a good addition? I only have half a pound of ground turkey and no zucchini so want sole extra protein
Hi Kayla! Cannellini beans will be a delicious addition! Any type of beans work, but I think the cannellini will be great 🙂
Can I make this a freezer meal? If so, would I add cooked rice to the freezer bag or raw? Thank you so much.
Hi Jennifer! Many have reported back that they have frozen the soup in zip lock bags. I would be sure everything is cooked before freezing, and I personally would double bag it 🙂 Enjoy!
Made this with light coconut milk and skipped bacon for lighter alternative and it was still great!! Did 1.5lb ground turkey instead and added curry powder like someone recommended.
One thing: I was worried the veggies would overcook, especially the Zucchini, and was right. Not terrible, but definitely soft/almost mushy. Next time I’d low simmer for 20m instead of 30 and turn off. Thr broth is so hot it definitely keeps cooking once off, hence yhe overcooked veggies.
Thanks so much for sharing all of that Collette! I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe and I appreciate you sharing your changes and feedback 🙂
Does anybody know if you can freeze single portions of this? My elderly mom loves it and if it freezes good I can divide it up for her.
Hi Sheri!
I’ve had readers report back that they have frozen the soup and it has thawed and reheated just fine. I would say you’re in the clear to freeze individual portions for your mom! Let me know if you have any other questions!