Italian Ground Turkey Soup

This ground turkey soup combines extra lean ground turkey, Italian seasoning, garlic, and Calabrian peppers with frozen cauliflower gnocchi and a cheesy ricotta sauce. Before cauliflower gnocchi sends you running for the Italian alps, you can definitely make this soup with pasta instead.

For such a thick and creamy turkey soup, it’s surprisingly low calorie. Every giant serving has 33 grams of protein with only 24 grams of carbs and 345 calories.

And when I say giant, I mean giant. One serving is fourteen ounces and nearly two cups. I hope you brought your appetite!

I’ve included a recipe card for you to save to your device or print for your recipe collection below. It has all the ingredient notes and substitution tips you should need to get cooking, but I always encourage readers to ask questions in the comments. I’m happy to help.

And if you’re a “soup season is year ’round” supporter like me, check out some of my other favorite recipes like white bean ground chicken soup or my infamous high protein taco soup.

Okay, I hope you enjoy this creamy Italian soup with ground turkey. If you do, recipe reviews are always appreciated!

4.62 from 13 votes

Servings: 6 Servings

Italian Ground Turkey Soup

By Mason Woodruff

Italian seasoned ground turkey, garlic, and Calabrian chiles team up with frozen cauliflower gnocchi and green peas, parmigiano reggiano, and a creamy lemon ricotta cheese sauce.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

SaveSaved Pin Rate Print

Save this recipe!

Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Email *

Post Title Post

Save

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• ▢ 1 pound Extra Lean Ground Turkey
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ▢ 4 cloves Garlic, crushed or minced
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• ▢ 1-2 Tablespoons Calabrian Peppers
• ▢ 3 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• ▢ 1 package Frozen Cauliflower Gnocchi
• ▢ 1 1/3 cup 175g Frozen Green Peas
• ▢ 4 oz Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan, freshly grated

For the Sauce

• ▢ 15 oz Low Fat Ricotta Cheese
• ▢ Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• ▢ 1/4 cup Milk

Instructions 

• Heat a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium heat with the olive oil. Once hot, brown one side of the ground turkey for 3-4 minutes before breaking apart and fully cooking.
• Add the salt, garlic, Italian seasoning, and peppers. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute.
• Add the broth and bring to a boil before adding the cauliflower gnocchi. Cook for 5 minutes before adding the peas and cooking another 2 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the parmigiano reggiano, followed by the ricotta sauce. Salt to taste and serve immediately (or simmer over low heat until you're serving) with a garnish of freshly grated cheese and parsley or basil.

Notes

You can use sundried tomatoes, tomato paste with red pepper flakes, or omit entirely.

If you'd rather use pasta instead of cauliflower gnocchi, use a full quart of chicken broth and 8 oz of dry pasta. Bring to a boil before adding the pasta, covering, and cooking just shy of al dente. See my Italian chicken soup recipe for an example.

I used McCormick Italian seasoning, which is a combination of marjoram, rosemary, oregano, basil, thyme, and sage. If you're using a seasoning with added salt, omit the salt in step 2 and salt to taste at the end. For another flavor profile that works well with this turkey soup, try lemon pepper like in my lemon ricotta ground turkey pasta.

For a bigger protein boost, consider using cottage cheese like my creamy gochujang gnocchi.

Nutrition

Serving: 13/4 cup (14 oz), Calories: 345kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 12g

Like this? Leave a comment below!