Ground Turkey & Vegetable Soup ~ #SundaySupper

February 24, 2013 By 57 Comments

Happy Sunday! This week Pam from The Meltaways is hosting a Soup themed #SundaySupper. It’s cold outside, so the #SundaySupper crew is putting the soup on to help warm you up.

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Let’s talk about my mom for a second. Now, I love the gal, but she isn’t always the best cook. Cooking is more of my dad’s thing. My mom, not so much. When I was over my mom’s house a few weekends ago, she put a half-frozen chicken breast in the oven and fed it to me for dinner. It tasted like rubber. Yuck! I’ll give her credit, she tries. She can whip up a box of brownies like a pro, boil a hotdog with the best of them, and mix up some Kraft mac and cheese in a jif, but when it comes to home cookin’, that’s more my dad’s area.

There are a few exceptions when it comes to my mom’s cooking. When I was growing up, I looked forward to three things: her roast beef with veggies and beefy egg noodles, cheese bread, and this recipe for ground turkey and vegetable soup. The recipe was originally my great-grandmother’s and has been handed down and adapted over the years. Hands down, my mom’s version of this soup is the best. She turned the recipe into a family favorite. The only thing I changed was replacing the ground beef with ground turkey and measuring out the ingredients so the flavor is consistent each time I make it. I make a huge batch so I can freeze it for easy weeknight cooking.

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This soup is full of bold flavors, fresh veggies, and healthy ground turkey. The base of the soup is what makes this soup so unique and delicious. It’s made with chicken stock, V8 juice, spaghetti sauce, and ketchup. You heard correct…spaghetti sauce. It sounds odd, but it tastes wonderful.

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It was my mom’s idea to use Hunt’s traditional canned spaghetti sauce in the soup to add flavor and thicken the sauce. The ketchup adds just the right sweetness to the soup, while the V8 juice gives the broth richness.

My mom knew what she was doing when she adapted my great-grandmother’s recipe. My brothers and I would get excited whenever she announced that she was making this soup for dinner.

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Thanks for making this such a special recipe, Mom! And, no more rubber chicken, please.

Check out the other hearty soup recipes:

Do The Chicken Dance (chicken {or other poultry} soups)

Where’s The Beef (Beef Soups)

Pass The Pork. Please (Pork or Sausage Soups)

Under The Sea (Seafood Soups)

Eat Your Veggies (Chock Full o’ Vegetables Soups)

Some Don’t Like It Hot (Chilled Soups)

4.5 from 2 reviews

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Ground Turkey & Vegetable Soup
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

Ingredients
  • 2 tbs. olive oil
  • 2½ lbs. ground turkey
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • 1½ cups celery (3 stalks), chopped
  • 2 cups carrots (4 carrots), cut into rounds
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 cups vegetable juice (V8)
  • 32-ounces chicken stock
  • 24-oz. can Hunt’s traditional spaghetti sauce
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 cups cabbage, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp. dried basil
  • 2 tsp. seasoned salt
  • 1 lb. frozen green beans

Instructions
  1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over high heat. Add the ground turkey, salt, and pepper. Brown the ground turkey until it’s almost cooked through.
  2. Turn the heat down to medium-high and add the celery, carrots, and onion to the pot with the ground turkey. Cook for another 5 minutes.
  3. Add the vegetable juice, chicken stock, spaghetti sauce, ketchup, cabbage, bay leaves, dried basil, and seasoned salt. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil then turn the heat down to low. Cover and simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Add the frozen green beans and cook uncovered for another 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
  4. To freeze:
  5. Cool the soup completely before transferring the mixture to freezer bags. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator before reheating.

Of course once you have seen all of the recipes for the day, you’ll not want to miss our #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. This week we will be sharing out special soup recipes! Follow the #SundaySupper hash tag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.

Looking for more inspiration, check out the #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Join us Around the Family Table this Sunday at 7pm Eastern Time this Sunday on Twitter and share your favorite soup, stew, chowder or bisque recipes with us!

Do you want to join the Sunday Supper Movement? You can sign up here.

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Chicken Soup with Dumplings~ #SundaySupper

November 4, 2012 By 101 Comments

Happy Sunday!

I’m happy to announce that Squirrel and I survived Frankenstorm. We didn’t float away, lose power, or suffer any damages to our house. I consider ourselves extremely lucky! The only damage is the few extra pounds I gained from eating my way through the storm. I’m embarrased to admit the consumption of cookies, pies, chips, bread, and, my favorite, Coca Cola. Desperate situations call for carbs…lots and lots of carbs. I’m feeling bloated and ashamed. We may have been lucky, but there are others that suffered severe damage in New York and New Jersey, and my thoughts and prayers go out to them.

This week Susan from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen is hosting a soul warming #SundaySupper. What is soul warming? Well, anything that makes you feel like you’re wrapped in a great big hug when you eat it. It’s the type of food that warms your soul on a cool, blustery night while cozying up with loved ones. The food that warms you up on the inside as it’s going down.

When I think about soul warming food, I think of soup. Nothing else warms you on the inside like a piping hot bowl or, if you’re weird like me, mug of soup. I find it easier to eat soup out of a big ol’ mug because the handle stays cool. I even have special soup mugs that I break out every winter for soup season. They’re perfect!

I was originally going to make chicken noodle soup; however, my husband had other plans.

Me: I’m making chicken noodle soup today. I have a whole chicken I’d like to use, so I decided to make soup. Excited?

Squirrel: Yeah, soup sounds great. Instead of noodles, can you make dumplings? Mmmm, dumplings!

Me: I’m making it with noodles!

Squirrel: Aw, but I like dumplings. Please!

Me: Too bad, you’re getting noodles. You’re lucky I’m making soup, and I wasn’t planning on making dumplings, too.

Squirrel: But it would be so much better with dumplings.

Me: Fine. If you’ll stop saying the word dumplings, I’ll whip up some dumplings.

Squirrel: Victory! I get what I want.

Needless to say, my spoiled husband got dumplings. He sure knows how to work the system…by begging and pushing my buttons, that’s how. I’ll admit, the dumplings took the soup up a notch and made it extra special.

I hate when he’s write.

I used homemade stock, but you can just as easily use some store bought stock. If I use store bought stock, I tie together a thyme and rosemary bundle to give the stock that homemade flavor. It’s a stock fake-out.

The great thing about this soup is that it tastes like it has been simmering for hours, but really only takes about 45 minutes. If you’re on a time crunch, you can buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up.

Enjoy!

Make sure you check out the #SundaySupper members for some more soul warming recipes:

Main Entrees:

Chili/Stews:

Soups:

Desserts/Beverages:

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Chicken Soup with Dumplings
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8
 

Ingredients
  • Soup:
  • 10 cups chicken stock
  • 4 cups shredded chicken
  • 2 tbs. olive oil
  • 6 carrots, diced
  • 4 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¾ tsp. Bon Appetit Seasoning
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Dumplings:
  • 1½ cups flour
  • ½ cup cornmeal
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tbs. baking powder
  • 1½ cups buttermilk

Instructions
  1. Soup:
  2. Bundle the thyme and rosemary sprigs together and secure with some kitchen twine. Set aside.
  3. In a large pot, heat 2 tbs. olive oil over medium heat. Add diced carrots, celery, onion, and bay leaf. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, then add garlic. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and add the thyme/rosemary bundle. Stir to combine.
  4. Add the shredded chicken, chopped thyme, and bon appetit seasoning. Turn the heat down to medium low and cover. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
  5. While the soup is simmering, make up the dumplings.
  6. Dumplings: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine. Slowly whisk in the buttermilk. Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready for them.
  7. When the soup is done simmering, remove the bay leaf and thyme bundle, then pour in the heavy cream and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop the dumplings into the simmering soup. Cover the pot, leaving it cracked, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
  9. Serve.

 

Filed Under: Savory Tagged With: , , , , , ,

#SundaySupper~Smoky Slow-Cooker Venison Chili

October 14, 2012 By 76 Comments

Happy #SundaySupper!

This week the #SundaySupper group has a very special guest, Lee Woodruff, the author of Those We Love Most and a CBS This Morning contributor. This week’s theme is all about comfort food, and who doesn’t enjoy some good old soul soothing food?

For me, comfort food is nostalgic. It warms your heart and evokes memories of childhood, loved ones, past events, triumphs, and “the good ol’ days.” It’s the spaghetti pie my great-grandmother used to make, my mom’s pot roast, or my Grandmom’s sugar cookies. It’s all the food I grew with as a child and still look forward to as an adult.

My brother recently murdered his very first deer. I know, “murdered” sounds harsh, but either way you look at it, the deer is dead. Personally, I don’t have the heart to kill Bambi. One look from those big doe eyes, and I’m no more good. The deer would end up with a hug and a pat on its fluffy little deer tail. What can I say, I’m a lover.

In honor of my brother’s first deer, I made smoky venison chili. This chili is hearty. This chili is smoky. This chili is, to quote my brother, “Amazing!”

This chili screams comfort food. It’s full of tender chunks of venison, smoky chipotle peppers, smoked paprika, creamy kidney beans, and a generous helping of bell peppers and onions.

I may not suit up and go all caveman-style and fetch my own food, however, I will let my little brother do the dirty work for me. Eh, that’s what boys are for, right? My job is to cook the food and feed the hungry. That’s it. Besides, stilettos and mud don’t mix.

Ready for the best part? This chili is made in the slow-cooker. All you have to do is brown the venison, then dump all the ingredients in the crockpot. Viola, delicious chili made easy.

Enjoy!

Make sure you visit the other #SundaySupper members for more comfort food dishes:

Comfort Food/Soups

Comfort Food/Main Dishes

Comfort Food/Desserts

Pairing Wine with Sunday Supper Comfort Food Favorites! by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Join us on Twitter throughout the day for delicious comfort food recipes using the #SundaySupper hashtag. We’ll be meeting at 7 p.m. EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat with Lee Woodruff, where we’ll be giving away copies of her new book and discussing our favorite comfort food recipes. 

4.5 from 2 reviews

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Smoky Slow-Cooker Venison Chili
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Course
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 6-8
 

Ingredients
  • Marinade:
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbs. worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbs. chipotle in adobo (see note)
  • ½ tsp. smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp. ancho chili powder
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • Chili:
  • 2½ lbs. venison or beef, cut into chunks
  • 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 40.5 oz. can kidney beans
  • 4 tbs. tomato paste
  • 14-oz. can diced tomatoes with chiles
  • 2 tbs. chipotle in adobo
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 tbs. worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbs. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. ancho chili powder
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • few dashes Tobasco
  • salt & pepper

Instructions
  1. Marinade:
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together garlic, canola oil, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, chipotle in adobo, smoked paprika, and ancho chili powder.
  3. Add venison or beef and toss in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  4. Chili:
  5. Add a few tablespoons of canola oil to a large sauté pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the venison or beef and brown on each side.
  6. Add the browned meat to the crockpot, then add the remaining chili ingredients to the pot. Stir to combine.
  7. Cook on low for 8 hours. If you want a thicker chili, add more tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Note: Place an entire can of chipotle in adobo in the food processor and pulse to create a paste. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

 

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Filed Under: Savory Tagged With: , , , ,