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–+ servings
Lentil soup with ground turkey served with bread
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4.83 from 35 votes

Lentil Turkey Soup

This turkey lentil soup recipe is so hearty and delicious, and it only takes about an hour from start to finish.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 342kcal
Author: Sally

Equipment

  • Dutch oven

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoon oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 1 pound ground turkey (or 2 cups cooked turkey or chicken)
  • 6 cups chicken broth (or beef or vegetable if desired)
  • 1 pound lentils dry, rinsed with any debris removed
  • 1 large carrot sliced
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes (I like the petite diced best)
  • 1 tablespoon marjoram dry
  • 1 teaspoon paprika sweet or smoked
  • 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Rinse lentils thoroughly, sorting out any debris.
  • Heat heavy pot or Dutch oven on medium heat.
  • Add oil, onion, celery, and ground turkey, crumbling and chopping up turkey into smallish pieces. Stir frequently while meat and veggies cook.
  • Cook about 10 minutes or until meat is browned and vegetables are softened.
  • Once meat is browned, add the broth, lentils, carrot, black pepper, diced tomatoes, marjoram, and paprika. (I like to add the salt near the end, as sometimes it can hinder the beans from softening properly.)
  • Bring soup to a light boil, then lower heat to low-medium (about 2-3) and cover for 45-50 minutes or until lentils and carrots are softened. (Note that you will want to stir the pot about every 10 minutes to make sure it's not simmering too hard and nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.)
  • Add salt and taste. Add more salt as desired. (Note that I typically will call for less salt in my recipes, as it's easier to add more but very difficult to fix once you have too much salt).
  • Serve hot with your favorite crusty bread and salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 989mg | Potassium: 1040mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1793IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 6mg