Turkey Minestrone with Spinach

Quick soups using canned tomatoes and beans don’t have to be bland and unhealthful—quite the opposite! Choose organic canned broth and veggies, add a few fresh vegetables (including nutrient-loaded spinach) along with lean ground turkey and a little pasta, and you’ve got a pot full of hearty, flavorful, good-for-you soup in less than 30 minutes.

Note: I used ground turkey dark meat for this recipe, but breast meat or ground chicken would be good too.

For other minestrone recipes, check out Chicken Minestrone with Spring Vegetables, Summer Vegetable Minestrone, or Chicken Minestrone with Orzo.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground turkey dark meat
• 1/2 cup diagonally sliced, peeled carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 28-oz can organic stewed tomatoes, with juice
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups organic chicken broth
• 3 packed cups baby spinach
• 3 oz elbow pasta (about 3/4 cup dry)
• 1 15.5-oz can organic cannellini (or great northern) beans, rinsed and drained 

Preparation

1. Heat a soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the ground turkey, carrot, onion, celery, and garlic and cook, breaking up the meat, until the vegetables begin to soften and the turkey is just cooked through, 7-8 minutes.

Turkey Mixture Beginning to Cook

Cooked Turkey Mixture

1. Add the tomatoes, with juice, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a light simmer and cook 5 minutes, breaking up the tomatoes. 
2. Add the broth and pasta. Cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes.
3. Stir the beans and spinach into the soup and cook until the pasta is tender and the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and taste for seasoning.

Tomatoes Added

Broth and Pasta Added

Beans and Spinach Added

Divide the minestrone among 6 bowls and serve.

Turkey Minestrone with Spinach