Italian Turkey and Vegetable Soup

Did you know there was a National Soup Day?  Yep, February 4th was officially National Homemade Soup Day!   Of course, I think every day is a great day to celebrate soup.  And the best thing, even an “average” cook can pull off a great soup! 

There are just a few notes I would like to share for this soup recipe:  1) The ACV is optional.  It adds a nice little zing and contrast to the heat undertones which I happen to like.  It also pairs nicely with the tomato base of the soup.  2)  I thickened my soup with 1-2 tsp of arrowroot flour.  I added a little too much broth and  I prefer a thicker, heartier soup. I simple scooped out about ¼ cup of the soup broth, whisked in the arrowroot flour and then stirred it back into the soup when it was at a low boil.  3)  You will notice that the last picture shows that I added some Shirataki noodles.  If you are not familiar with these, they are a gluten-free/grain-free option for pasta.  They are made from the Japanese konjac yam and are translucent and gelatinous in texture.  They come packaged in a fishy-smelling liquid but don’t let that scare you.  Just drain, rinse and they are good to go.  No need to cook them so add them at the end.

Ingredients:

• 1-1½ lbs organic ground turkey
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ large onion, diced
• ½ large red bell pepper, diced
• ½ can tomato paste (about 3-4 Tbsp)
• 1-1½ cup packaged shredded carrots (roughly chopped)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used fire roasted)
• 2-4 cups of beef or chicken broth (based on your thickness preference)
• 2-3 cups of fresh spinach or 1-2 cup frozen spinach
• 1 Tbsp oregano
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1-2 Tbsp ACV (optional)
• 1 package of Shirataki noodles (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.
2. Add ground turkey, salt, pepper, onion, bell peppers and garlic.  Sauté until turkey is browned through.  Stirring throughout.
3. Add spices, tomato paste and carrots.  Stirring continuously, cook for 4-5 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
4. Add the diced tomatoes and broth.  Stir to combine and bring to a low boil.
5. Reduce the heat to low.  Add ACV, if desired.
6. Cover and allow to simmer for 30-60 minutes.
7. Add spinach approximately 10 minutes before cooking time is done.