Sometimes, I want only a bowl of soup along with warm crusty bread for dinner. This happened to be one of those nights. So tonight, I decided to cook this turkey and kale soup, which I adapted from Giada Delaurentiis’ Turkey, Kale and Brown Rice Soup.

Instead of using wild rice, I tried multigrain pasta and was very pleased with the results. This is a healthy and hearty soup, one that you won't feel guilty about eating. Why should you?  It's made with everything good for you, but does not lack in flavor...at all! If you like Italian food, you will love this soup.

Kale is a form of cabbage and is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Kale is tougher than lettuce and a bit bitter. You do need to remove the leaves from the stem before cutting. Simply hold stem and slide your fingers upward pulling off the leaves. It's actually really simple.

This is a really simple soup to make and I highly recommend that you do all of your pre-chopping before starting the cooking process.  The prep work will pay off!

I happen to live in the same city as Giada, which is Malibu, California. I have been thrilled to see her a few times around town. In person, she is very pretty, petite and has that gorgeous smile!

Healthy Turkey and Kale Soup

Adapted from At Home with Giada

Serves: 6


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

2 medium carrots cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cups)

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 pound lean ground white turkey meat, broken into small chunks

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

1 cup elbow multigrain pasta

1 small bunch kale, coarsely chopped (about 4 packed cups)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, onion, carrots and bell pepper and sauté, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ground turkey and stir until the meat browns nicely, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the herbs and stir, 1 minute. Add 6 cups broth, and tomatoes, bring to a boil. Stir in the kale and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook your pasta separately, according to directions on box. Drain pasta and add to soup.

Ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy.


Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 448 g

Amount Per Serving
Calories 248

Calories from Fat 98
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10.9g
Saturated Fat 2.1g
Trans Fat 3.4g
Cholesterol 54mg
Sodium 562mg
Total Carbohydrates 17.9g
Dietary Fiber 3.2g
Sugars 3.3g
Protein 20.8g

Vitamin A 224%•Vitamin C 153%Calcium 8%•Iron 12%
Nutrition Grade B
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet