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Turkey Kale Soup with Brown Rice

Healthy Turkey Kale Soup with Brown Rice is a cozy soup full of nutritious ingredients that comes together in just 30 minutes. This Ground Turkey Kale Soup will be your go-to winter soup!

turkey kale and brown rice soup in bowl

Hi friends, Happy New Year! How were your holidays? I spent the past two weeks in San Francisco with Steve, but now it is back to reality. I wanted the first recipe of 2020 to be an updated version of one of my favorite recipes and one of the first posts I ever posted on here – Turkey Kale Soup with Brown Rice. [Can you believe Baked Ambrosia is already 4 years old??]

This Ground Turkey Kale Soup recipe has become a staple in our house since the first time I ever made it! It’s loaded with nourishing vegetables and spices, and bursting with lemon flavor. 

My favorite part is that this recipe is made with leftover brown rice, which I always seem to have lots of. If you are using leftover rice, it comes together in just 30 minutes. If you don’t have any leftover rice, I have included in the recipe below how to prepare this soup with uncooked rice. (Note: if you are using uncooked rice, the soup will take a little bit longer to prepare.)

Healthy Turkey Kale Soup Recipe Ingredients 

Let’s go over the ingredients used in this Turkey Kale Soup with Brown Rice recipe. Using fresh ingredients is key to producing the best tasting soup!

turkey kale and brown rice soup ingredients

  • Olive Oil: I always have a good neutral olive oil on hand for cooking. You can also use avocado oil in this turkey kale soup recipe! 
  • Ground turkey: I like to use 93% lean organic ground turkey in this recipe because it’s much more flavorful than 99% lean ground turkey. 
  • Vegetables: Onion, carrots, and red peppers are my favorite for this recipe. 
  • Spices and seasonings: I like to use Kirkland No-Salt Seasoning that I find at Costco in this recipe. I have also made it with Italian seasoning with delicious results! Turmeric adds great flavor and anti-inflammatory properties to this soup. The red pepper flakes and cayenne are completely optional, but highly recommended. They add a slight spiciness to the soup which really compliments the tartness of the lemon juice.
  • Low-sodium chicken broth: Use your favorite store bought or homemade chicken broth or bone broth in this recipe. If using a store bought stock, I like to use a low-sodium version so that I can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
  • Fire roasted tomatoes: I love the flavor of fire roasted tomatoes in this turkey kale soup recipe. However, you could use any type of canned diced tomatoes in this recipe. 
  • Brown rice: I love making this soup recipe when I have leftover brown rice. If you don’t have any leftover brown rice, use uncooked brown rice and follow the steps in the full recipe below. If you aren’t a fan of brown rice, you can swap it out for your favorite white rice! 
  • Kale: Curly kale and lacinato kale are my favorite varieties to use in this recipe. If kale isn’t your cup of tea, you can use spinach instead. 
  • Lemon juice: Fresh squeezed lemon juice is always best! Adjust the amount of lemons depending on your taste!

How To Make The Best Ground Turkey Kale Soup 

This healthy turkey kale soup recipe is sooo easy to make! Let’s go through the steps to make sure you end up with the most delicious soup.

STEP ONE: SAUTE VEGETABLES

The first step in this Ground Turkey Kale Soup recipe is to saute the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, and diced red bell pepper. Saute for about 8-10 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.

STEP TWO: BROWN GROUND TURKEY AND ADD SPICES

Add the ground turkey to the pot and cook until the turkey is no longer pink. Then, add the seasoning, turmeric, red pepper flakes, cayenne, salt, black pepper, and cook for an additional minute.  

ground turkey and vegetables in pot

STEP THREE: ADD BROTH, TOMATOES, AND RICE

Next, add the chicken broth or stock, canned diced tomatoes, and cooked brown rice and bring the mixture to a boil. If you are using uncooked rice, bring the soup to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. If you are using brown rice, cook the soup covered for 35-40 minutes. For white rice, cook the soup covered for 15-20 minutes. 

chicken broth poured into soup

STEP FOUR: STIR IN KALE AND LEMON JUICE

Once the rice is warmed through or cooked, stir in the kale and lemon juice. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the kale is tender. 

turkey kale and brown rice soup

Healthy Turkey Kale Soup With Brown Rice Recipe FAQs 

How do I freeze soup?

Freezing leftover soup is so easy and a great way to meal prep! 

How to freeze soup:

  • Cool: Make sure that the soup is completely cool before freezing it. This step is important for food safety and to prevent freezer burn.
  • Pour soup into freezer safe container: After the soup has cooled down, ladle it into your freezer-safe container, squeeze out any excess air, and seal the container. My favorite options are Stasher bags or gallon-sized freezer bags. Label and date the containers with the name of the soup and the date it should be eaten by. 
  • Freeze: Lay the freezer bags in a flat section of your freezer and freeze!

How do I reheat frozen soup?

To reheat frozen soup, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, empty the thawed soup into a pot and heat over medium-high heat until boiling. 

How long does soup last?

Leftover soup will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. 

turkey kale and brown rice soup in bowl

More Recipes You’ll Love!

If you make this recipe, take a photo and tag #bakedambrosia on Instagram and Facebook so that I can see your creations and feature them on Instagram! To stay up to date with the latest recipes, follow Baked Ambrosia on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. ♡

turkey kale and brown rice soup in pot

turkey kale and brown rice soup in bowl

Turkey Kale Soup with Brown Rice

Angelina
Healthy Turkey Kale Soup with Brown Rice is a cozy soup full of nutritious ingredients that comes together in just 30 minutes. This Ground Turkey Kale Soup will be your go-to winter soup!
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 265 kcal

Ingredients 

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 3 medium carrots cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 large red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 2 tsp no-salt seasoning or Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • dash of cayenne
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 15- oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cup cooked brown rice or 3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
  • 1 small bunch of kale roughly chopped (about 4 cups)
  • 2 lemons juiced

Instructions 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and red bell pepper. Saute, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Add the ground turkey, and cook until meat is no longer pink.
  • Add seasoning, turmeric, red pepper flakes, cayenne, salt, black pepper, and cook for an additional minute.
  • Add chicken broth, canned tomatoes, and cooked rice. Bring to a boil. NOTE: If using uncooked brown rice, bring the pot to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 30-40 minutes. For white rice, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
  • Stir in chopped kale and lemon juice. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
  • Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Notes

How to freeze soup:
  1. Cool: Make sure that the soup is completely cool before freezing it. This step is important for food safety and to prevent freezer burn.
  2. Pour soup into freezer safe container: After the soup has cooled down, ladle it into your freezer-safe container, squeeze out any excess air, and seal the container. My favorite options are Stasher bags or gallon-sized freezer bags. Label and date the containers with the name of the soup and the date it should be eaten by. 
  3. Freeze: Lay the freezer bags in a flat section of your freezer and freeze!
How do I reheat frozen soup?
  • To reheat frozen soup, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, empty the thawed soup into a pot and heat over medium-high heat until boiling. 
How long does soup last?
  • Leftover soup will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 265kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 20gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 330mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was and tag @bakedambrosia on Instagram

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9 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    So glad I came across this! Made it last tonight using leftover rotisserie chicken. So good! Thank you for sharing.

  2. 5 stars
    Wonderful recipe. I had leftover shredded rotisserie chicken and used that instead of turkey. Next time, I will try it with ground turkey. Love it!

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