Italian Turkey Soup

Italian Turkey Soup is light yet filling, and comes together quickly (under 30 minutes start to finish) with lots of pantry staples. Fresh ingredients like spinach leaves and grated parmesan make it bright and comforting and white beans make it nice and hearty. It’s absolute perfection served with a slice of crusty Overnight Artisan Bread!

turkey tomato soup

Ingredients and Equipment Needed

  • Stock pot
  • Olive oil
  • Ground turkey – For best flavor and texture, use ground turkey (which includes dark and light meat and has a little more flavor). If desired, you can use ground turkey breast, just be aware that it tends to be more more dry and not as flavorful. I’m sure it would be equally delicious with ground beef or shredded chicken, so feel free to experiment!
  • Diced onion
  • Fresh garlic
  • Dry Italian seasoning
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • Canned diced tomatoes
  • Canned white beans – I personally use cannelli or great northern beans. These are a great pantry staple!  I also use them in my really popular White Chicken Chili and also this White Bean and Artichoke Hummus.
  • Chicken broth
  • Dried oregano
  • Dried basil
  • Parsley – dried or fresh
  • Fresh spinach – Kale would be lovely as well!  If using kale, remove the leaves from the thick stems first, and then finely chop before adding to the soup.  Kale takes a little longer to wilt than spinach does. If you think you’ll stock this soup in the fridge or freezer, kale is a great choice because it holds up to storage a little better than spinach does.
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

How to Make Italian Turkey Soup

  1. To start our Italian Turkey Soup, sauté some onions, garlic, and your ground turkey. Add salt and pepper and some ground Italian seasoning to this mixture and then cook until the turkey is completely cooked through.
  2. At this point, you’ll deglaze the pan with your wet ingredients, picking up all the flavor that’s browned in the pan.  Add canned tomatoes, white beans, chicken broth, and some extra dried herbs for even more flavor.  This mixture can simmer away for a bit while you move on to the next step.
  3. When you’re ready to serve, stir in some chopped spinach. It will wilt quickly and you’re ready to go.  You can also add your spinach leaves in whole; I like to chop them up so they better incorporate into small pieces with the rest of the soup ingredients. Make sure to taste your soup at this point and season with additional salt and pepper- it will need some for sure.
  4. When you’re ready to serve, ladle into bowls and top generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
tomato soup in bowl with cheese on the side

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this Vegetarian/Vegan?

You bet! Replace the chicken broth with your favorite veggie broth and leave the turkey out. If you’d like, add an extra can of beans or some chickpea or lentil noodles. Sprinkle with a little nutritional yeast or your favorite cheese replacement instead of Parm and you’re good to go!

Can I make this with Italian sausage instead of ground turkey?

That would be delicious. If you like spice, use hot Italian sausage.

finished bowl of soup topped with cheese

Italian Turkey Soup

5 from 23 votes
Delicious, lean soup that comes together quickly with a base of pantry ingredients!  This is a smaller soup recipe, so feel free to double if your household size is larger (like 5-8 people).
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • olive oil extra virgin
  • 8 ounces ground turkey or ground turkey breast
  • 1 onion, small-medium diced
  • 4-5 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon dry Italian seasoning
  • kosher salt
  • black pepper
  • 1 15-ounce canned diced tomatoes
  • 1 15-ounce canned white beans (Cannelini, Great Northern) drained and rinsed
  • 2 14-ounce cans chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon oregano dry
  • ½ teaspoon basil dry
  • 1 tablespoon parsley dry, or about ¼ cup fresh
  • 4-6 cups spinach fresh
  • Parmesan cheese freshly grated

Instructions

  • Heat a large stock pot to medium heat. Pour 1-2 tablespoons olive oil into the pot and swirl to coat bottom of pan.
  • Add diced onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, until starting to soften. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add ground turkey, Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Continue crumbling turkey and cook until completely cooked through.
  • When turkey is cooked through, add in canned tomatoes (including all the juice), the drained beans, and the chicken broth. Add oregano and basil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for at least 10 minutes, and up to 20.
  • Right before serving, roughly chop spinach and add to pot. Stir until wilted and then season soup with additional salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 3-4 days for best results.
  • This soup freezes beautifully! Freeze in individual portions for easy meals on busy days! 
  • To make vegetarian or vegan: Replace the chicken broth with your favorite veggie broth and leave the turkey out. If you’d like, add an extra can of beans or some chickpea or lentil noodles. Sprinkle with a little nutritional yeast or your favorite cheese replacement instead of Parm and you’re good to go!

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 945mg, Potassium: 1050mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 3051IU, Vitamin C: 24mg, Calcium: 166mg, Iron: 5mg
Course: Main Courses
Cuisine: Soups
Keyword: Italian Turkey Soup, soup
Calories: 243kcal
Author: Sara Wells
Cost: $10
Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!
woman in denim shirt holding a salad bowl
Meet The Author

Sara Wells

Sara Wells co-founded Our Best Bites in 2008. She is the author of three Bestselling Cook Books, Best Bites: 150 Family Favorite RecipesSavoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, and 400 Calories or Less from Our Best Bites. Sara’s work has been featured in many local and national news outlets and publications such as Parenting MagazineBetter Homes & GardensFine CookingThe Rachel Ray Show and the New York Times.

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Questions & Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    We made this for a ladies stamping retreat in the mountains. It was wonderful. Everyone loved it. It is one of my fav’s. Oh yum.

  2. 5 stars
    This was soo good! Even my husband liked it and he doesnt really care for soup. Thank you so much for all your great recipes. They make my life easier!

  3. 5 stars
    We love this soup, it has a permanent spot in the fall/winter dinner rotations (or on cold rainy May days like today). Thanks for the great recipe!

  4. 5 stars
    I can’t believe this only has 16 comments; Maybe because it is from so long ago. This soup is wonderful!!! I have made this a couple of times and have really enjoyed it. Today I made it with kale instead of spinach. Superb!

    1. This is pretty flexible in the crockpot–I’d probably do it for 8 hours on low or 4-6 on high.

  5. I know that this is probably written somewhere, but how many does this recipe serve? I’m looking to feed 7 people, so I’m just wondering if I should double the recipe.

  6. 5 stars
    I made this a few nights ago and my husband loved it. Thanks for a cheaper version of a traditional soup!