I loved the flavors in this fall-themed Turkey Soup with Kale, Mushrooms, and Butternut Squash, and this tasty soup is easy to make. This might be lower in carbs than you think, but see notes for an even lower-carb option if you prefer!
PIN Turkey Soup with Kale, Mushrooms, and Butternut Squash!
For a while now I’ve been trying to develop a long-term relationship with ground turkey, which I think has the potential to be a bit boring. I think I’m getting to know ground turkey a little better though, because this year I’ve had a couple of recipe success stories using it, and this Turkey Soup with Kale, Mushrooms, and Butternut Squash is definitely another winner.
If there’s a secret to ground turkey recipe success, it’s to use a lot of other flavorful ingredients with the turkey, and in addition to mushrooms, butternut squash, and kale, this soup has plenty of dried herbs and a generous amount of balsamic vinegar stirred in at the end. I loved the soup; hope everyone else who’s developing an appreciation for ground turkey will enjoy it too.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
- onion
- celery
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- Dried Thyme (affiliate link)
- Poultry Seasoning (affiliate link)
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth (affiliate link)
- vegetable soup base
- Cremini mushrooms
- ground turkey
- butternut squash
- baby kale leaves or chopped kale
- cooked rice (or cauliflower rice)
- white balsamic vinegar (affiliate link)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
How can you make this ground turkey soup lower in carbs?
If you check the nutritional information this soup may be lower in net carbs than you think, but if you want a soup with similar flavors and even fewer carbs, just switch the rice for frozen cauliflower rice and use a bit less butternut squash. That version will be just as delicious!
Want more tasty soups with Turkey?
Check out Low-Carb and Keto Turkey Soup Recipes or Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Turkey Soup Recipes for lots more soups with ground turkey or leftover turkey!
How to Make Turkey Soup with Kale, Mushrooms, and Butternut Squash:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- Finely chop some onion and celery and cook it with a little olive oil in the soup pot until the onions barely start to brown. Then add dried thyme, poultry seasoning, and minced garlic and cook about a minute more.
- Add 10 cups chicken stock or broth and 2 generous tablespoons of Better than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base (affiliate link) and start to simmer.
- Heat a little olive oil in another pan and cook the turkey until it’s nicely browned.
- While the turkey browns, wash the mushrooms and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the browned turkey and the mushrooms to the soup pot and simmer 20 minutes.
- I used pre-cut butternut squash cubes (something I rarely buy, but they’re great for soup.) I cut each one in fourths to get small cubes for the soup. Add squash to the soup and simmer 20 minutes more.
- If you’re using baby kale all you need to do is wash it. (I like to break off the stems, but it’s totally optional.) If you have larger kale leaves, I’d coarsely chop the kale and add it to the soup a bit sooner.
- I used cooked Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice (affiliate link) which is a low-glycemic rice, but use 1-2 cups of frozen cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option.
- Add the rice and kale and simmer for a final 20-30 minutes.
- It’s done when the kale and butternut squash seems to have almost melted into the soup.
- Serve hot, with freshly grated Parmesan cheese to add at the table if desired.
More Tasty Recipes with Ground Turkey:
Ground Turkey Soup with Mushrooms and Spinach
Ground Turkey Taco Bowls
Thai-Inspired Turkey Larb Salad ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep; to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ingredients
- 1/2 large onion, chopped small
- 4 stalks celery, chopped small
- 2 tsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. Poultry Seasoning
- 1 tsp. finely minced fresh garlic (or more)
- 10 cups chicken broth (see notes)
- 2 T vegetable soup base
- 8 oz. brown Cremini mushrooms, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
- 1 lb. small cubes butternut squash (see notes)
- 1 1/2 cups baby kale leaves or chopped kale leaves
- 1 cup cooked rice (see notes for lower-carb option)
- 2 T balsamic vinegar
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Chop the onion and celery into small pieces.
- Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in the bottom of the soup pot, add chopped vegetables, and saute until they’re starting to brown, about 4 minutes.
- Add the dried thyme, Poultry Seasoning, and minced garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add the homemade chicken stock and vegetable soup base and start to simmer the soup.
- While soup simmers heat 2 tsp. olive oil in another large non-stick frying pan and cook the turkey over medium-high heat, breaking apart with the turner as it cooks. Let the turkey get nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes.
- While the turkey browns, wash the mushrooms and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Add turkey and mushrooms to the soup and simmer 20 minutes before adding the squash.
- Cut butternut squash into small cubes, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch square. (It’s preferable if they’re not all the same size, because the smaller ones will dissolve into the soup more and the larger ones will create texture.)
- Add the chopped butternut squash to the soup and simmer 20 minutes before adding the rice and kale.
- Wash the kale (removing stems from baby kale if desired, or chopping larger kale leaves.)
- When the soup has simmered 20 minutes with the butternut squash, add the rice (or cauliflower rice) and kale (and a tiny bit more water or stock if needed) and continue to simmer 20-30 minutes more.
- Taste soup and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar (I would start with 2 tablespoons and then see if you want more.)
- Serve soup hot, with freshly grated Parmesan cheese to add at the table as desired.
Notes
If you want a lower-carb soup use a bit less butternut squash and replace the rice with 1-2 cups frozen cauliflower rice.
If you don’t have homemade chicken stock use five 15 oz. cans chicken broth and a little water.
I use Better than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base (affiliate link) to add flavor to the soup. Use any brand of vegetable base you prefer.
I used half of a 2 lb. package of pre-cut squash cubes and cut them smaller.
This soup will probably freeze pretty well, although the squash, rice, and kale will all break apart some from being frozen. The soup will definitely keep in the fridge for at least a week.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 330Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 1353mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 26g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Turkey Soup with Kale, Mushrooms, and Butternut Squash is loaded with healthy low-glycemic ingredients like ground turkey, mushrooms, kale, and converted rice, and would make a delicious meal for Phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet. (Butternut squash is a limited food, so use portion control if you’re actively trying to lose weight.) If you’re following a low-carb diet, this soup could be made lower in carbs using less squash and replacing the rice with frozen cauliflower rice.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes for more recipes like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was posted in 2013. It was updated with more information and the suggestion for a lower-carb option in 2021.
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