Most of the time, when I’ve got something to use up in my fridge, I will Google that ingredient(s) and see what kind of recipes I can find. A few weeks ago, I had green beans and tomatoes from my garden, as well as potatoes, carrots, and spinach in my fridge and pantry. So I Googled vegetable soup recipes, and this is the one that caught my interest: Garden Vegetable Soup Recipe by Alton Brown of Food Network.
I don’t generally have leeks on hand, but I did have onions, and I figured anything else that I didn’t have I could sub pretty easily. I was extremely pleased with the result that I made it again and didn’t change a thing! It freezes beautifully. It’s light and full of flavour, packed full of vegetables, and a very comforting meal.
How To Make Your Garden Vegetable Soup Kid-Friendly
The kiddos didn’t love this meal, mostly eating the carrots and potatoes. So when I made it again, I went heavy on those two ingredients. And as with any meal, especially a soup, I think the quality of your ingredients is key. Good fresh green beans, flavorful chicken stock, and definitely don’t leave out the garlic and onions (or leeks)!
My garden tomatoes are pretty much done, but I think I’ll be making this garden vegetable soup all winter long with whatever looks good at the grocery store. Of course, you could sub out the turkey with shredded chicken for a different kind of chicken soup or add some noodles or beans. Soup season is here friends, get out that stock pot and start cooking!
Garden Vegetable Soup with Ground Turkey
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey (minced turkey)
- 2 cups white onion - chopped
- 2 tablespoons garlic - finely minced
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
- 2 cups carrots - peeled and chopped into rounds
- 2 cups green beans - fresh, broken or cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes - canned or homemade roasted and pureed tomatoes from the garden
- 1-2 cups corn - fresh or frozen
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper - freshly ground
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice - fresh or bottled, or to taste
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the ground turkey and let it brown. Use a wooden spoon to break it up, and continue cooking until no longer pink.
- Add the garlic, onions and a little bit of salt once the turkey is cooked through. Sweat until they begin to soften, about 7 to 8 minutes.
- Add a small amount of chicken broth to the pot. Using your spoon or spatula, scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Mix in the carrots, potatoes, and green beans and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the rest of the stock and cook in high heat. Once the soup is simmering, add in the corn kernels, tomatoes and pepper.
- At this point, you need to reduce the heat to low, cover your pot, and cook until the vegetables are tender about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice—season with salt and pepper, other herbs, or chicken bouillon. Serve immediately.