Name: Turkey Lentil Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 pound ground turkey (OR 2 cups leftover turkey cut bite size); salt and pepper; 1 medium onion (diced); 2 medium carrots (diced); 2 stalks celery (diced); 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 14 ounces diced tomatoes (canned); 1 cup lentils; 5 cups V8 juice; 2 1/2 cups turkey stock; 1/4 cup small pasta (ditalini, small shells, etc) (uncooked); 1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped); Freshly grated parmesan cheese (+ rind if it has one)

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Turkey Lentil Soup with ground turkey OR leftover turkey. This hearty soup is loaded with vegetables and lentils in a rich tomato broth. It’s an easy stove top recipe ideal for the holiday season and any cold winter day.

This hearty Turkey Lentil Soup is outrageously good, a great source of protein and once of my favorite recipes this time of year.

The V8 juice in this soup adds another level of flavor and extra nutrition you can’t get from just tomato sauce.

You’ll find step-by-step instructions to make this soup below.

What’s in Turkey and Lentil Soup?

olive oil
salt and black pepper
lean ground turkey (OR use chopped/shredded leftover turkey)
onion
carrots
celery
garlic powder
tomato paste
diced tomatoes
lentils
V8 juice
turkey stock
small shells, ditalini or other mini pasta
parsley
wedge of parmesan cheese

How to make Turkey Lentil Soup:

Ground turkey method:

Add the olive oil to a large pot then drop in the ground turkey over medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper and sear 3-4 minutes.

Break up the turkey into small pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula then drop in the chopped onion, carrots and celery.

Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper then continue cooking 6-8 minutes over medium heat until the carrots start to soften.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes then add the diced tomatoes and lentils.

Add the V8 juice and turkey stock and if your Parmesan cheese has a rind, add it into the pot as well.

Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the lentils are starting to soften but still have some bite to them.

Stir in the pasta then cover and simmer over low heat 8-10 minutes or until the pasta and lentils are tender (cooking time will vary with the size of pasta used).

Add the chopped parsley and if any of the parm rind remains, remove it. Taste and adjust for salt.

Serve hot with grated parmesan cheese on top and some nice crusty bread.

How do I make this recipe using leftover turkey?

To use leftover turkey just leave out the step adding ground turkey then stir in about 2 cups of leftover turkey cut in bite size pieces after you add the V8 and stock.

VARIATIONS AND SUBS:

Chicken broth, chicken stock or vegetable broth can be used in place of turkey stock.
I usually use brown lentils but you can also use green lentils or red lentils. The type of lentil may depend upon what you can find in your grocery store.
A small squeeze of lemon juice into each bowl would be delicious.
Wilt in a couple of cups of baby spinach near the end of the cooking process.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS:

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.

This soup also freezes really well. I store mine in individual containers (16-20 ounce) – perfect for an easy lunch or dinner.

Looking for more SOUP recipes?

Click the links below for recipes:

Minestrone Soup

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Enjoy!

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