This turkey vegetable soup is a full pot of beets, carrots, cabbage, green peas, green beans, and leafy greens simmered in homemade meat stock. The beets stain the broth ruby red. Chopped cooked turkey goes in near the end, so it warms through without spending the vegetable simmer in the pot.
With six children and homeschooling before second-shift work, I appreciate dinners that make good use of stock and cooked meat already in the refrigerator. Most of the hands-on time here is washing and cutting vegetables. Once they are in the pot, they simmer for about thirty minutes before the turkey goes in.
Choose Homemade Meat Stock
Measure two quarts, or eight cups, of homemade chicken meat stock for this Full GAPS version. Its mild poultry flavor works well with the cooked turkey and the vegetables in the soup.
GAPS meat stock starts with raw meaty bones and joints, skin, connective tissue, and meat. That differs from broth simmered for a long time from a stripped, roasted carcass. The current GAPS guidance places bone broth at least a year later, and for some people several years later. This recipe uses the live chicken meat stock link above.
Homemade beef meat stock can also stand in at the same measured two quarts if that is the stock you already have ready. Its flavor will be fuller and more prominent than chicken. Keep the cooked turkey and all the vegetable amounts as written.
Stir the stock before measuring if it has gelled or its fat has risen to the top. Warm a firm batch gently until it pours. Keep its natural fat with the liquid; it melts into small droplets as the soup heats.
Wash the Greens and Cut the Vegetables
Use two small beets with their tops. Separate the tops, peel the beets, and cut the roots into bite-size chunks. Wash the greens well, including around the stems where grit can hide, then cut the tops into pieces about an inch long.
Cut the small onion into chunks. Peel the four large carrots and slice them into coins. Keeping the pieces fairly even helps them soften at a similar pace.
Measure two cups of fresh green peas and two cups of green beans. Trim the bean ends and cut long beans into manageable pieces. The source calls for fresh green peas, not dried split peas.
Cut the half head of cabbage into half-inch pieces. Wash the ten large Swiss chard leaves. Separate the stems, cut them into half-inch pieces, and slice the leaves. Both the stems and leaves go into this pot.
Warm the Stock and Add the Vegetables
Put the two quarts of stock in a large pot over medium heat. Add the beet chunks and washed beet tops, followed by the onion and carrot coins. Add the peas, green beans, cabbage, chopped chard stems, and sliced chard leaves.
The greens take up room at first. Stir gently as they wilt and settle into the stock. The vegetables should be surrounded by liquid; the amount is measured at two quarts before the vegetables go in.
The beet color begins to spread as the cut pieces sit in the warm stock. The carrots remain orange, while the onion and cabbage look pale and firm. The simmer is what softens the vegetables and turns the broth red.
Simmer Until the Vegetables Are Tender
Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to a steady simmer for about thirty minutes. Stir occasionally so the vegetables around the edges move through the hot stock too.
Test a beet chunk and a thicker carrot coin with a fork. They should yield easily without a firm center. The onion turns translucent, the cabbage softens, and the leafy greens darken and wilt.
The broth will be much redder than when you started. The peas and green beans lose their bright raw color, and the chard softens into the soup. If a larger beet or carrot still has a firm middle, keep simmering until it softens. The time is a useful check; tenderness is the cue.
Add the Cooked Turkey at the End
Chop two cups of plain cooked turkey into bite-size pieces. White meat, dark meat, or a mixture will work. Remove bones and firm pieces before measuring.
Add the turkey after the vegetables are tender and simmer for five more minutes. It is already cooked, so this last stretch warms it through the soup. There is no need to simmer cooked turkey for the full vegetable cooking time.
The turkey should remain moist and separate into natural fibers under a fork. Its edges can take on a pink tint from the beet broth. Ladle some liquid and a mix of vegetables and meat into each bowl.
Where This Soup Fits on Full GAPS
Meat stock appears in earlier GAPS stages, but the full mix of cabbage, beet tops, chard, peas, and green beans makes this a Full GAPS soup. It is not an Introduction Diet soup.
The soup is dairy-free as written, with no nut flour or grain thickener. Its body comes from the vegetables, chopped turkey, and homemade stock. Cream and powdered gelatin are not needed.
Serving, Storage, and Reheating
The source does not give a finished volume or fixed serving count. The amount in each bowl depends on the size of the vegetables and how much liquid reduces while cooking. This card treats the recipe as one batch, and its 2× control doubles the full pot.
Serve hot with some of the stock’s natural fat in each bowl. A deep bowl holds the vegetables and turkey, and a ladle that reaches the bottom helps distribute them rather than leaving the solids in the pot.
Divide leftovers among shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours. Keep them refrigerated for three to four days or freeze for longer storage. Leave a little room in each container for the soup to expand as it freezes.
Reheat a portion on the stove, stirring as the chilled stock loosens, until the soup is steaming hot throughout. The vegetables soften further as they warm, so heat only what you plan to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Does the Broth Turn Red?
The beets release their color into the stock. Beet tops and stems can add more color. Red broth and pink edges on the turkey are expected in this version.
Can I Use Raw Turkey?
The source uses two cups of cooked turkey and adds it for the final five minutes. Cook raw turkey separately before adding it. That last warming step is not intended to cook raw meat.
Do the Chard Stems Go in the Pot?
Yes. Separate them from the leaves, cut them into half-inch pieces, and add them with the vegetables. Slice the leaves and add those too. Both parts simmer until soft.
Can I Use Dried Peas?
This recipe calls for two cups of fresh green peas. Dried split peas are a different ingredient and need their own preparation and cooking time, so they do not fit this measured version.
How Long Does the Soup Take?
The vegetables simmer about thirty minutes, then the cooked turkey simmers five more minutes. Washing and cutting the vegetables and bringing the pot to a boil add time before that simmer. The card lists thirty-five minutes as the measured simmering time, not the full kitchen time.
Recommended Equipment
Use a large stainless stockpot with room to stir the raw greens. The Le Creuset Classic stainless 10-quart stockpot shown here holds this batch without crowding it. You will also need a knife, cutting board, peeler, measuring tools, a stirring spoon, a fork for checking tenderness, and a ladle.
If you make a larger batch, use a pot with enough headroom or divide the soup between pots. Leave room to stir instead of packing the greens against a lid or filling the pot to the rim.
Stock for More Family Meals
The planned Stock Pot Course covers the difference between meat stock and bone broth, then explains making, straining, cooling, storing, and turning stock into family meals. It is the relevant WFLI resource if you want to build more soups around homemade stock. Check the WFLI shop for availability.
Turkey Vegetable Soup Recipe
Turkey Vegetable Soup With Meat Stock for Full GAPS
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pour two quarts of homemade chicken meat stock into a large stockpot over medium heat. Stir first if the chilled stock has gelled or its fat has risen.
- Separate the beet tops from the roots. Peel and cut the beets into bite-size chunks. Wash the tops and cut them into about 1-inch pieces. Add both to the stock.
- Cut the onion into chunks. Peel and slice the carrots into coins. Trim and cut long green beans into manageable pieces. Cut the cabbage into 1/2-inch pieces. Wash the Swiss chard, separate the stems, cut the stems into 1/2-inch pieces, and slice the leaves. Add the onion, carrots, fresh peas, beans, cabbage, chard stems, and leaves to the stock.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a steady simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Test a beet chunk and a thicker carrot coin with a fork; both should yield easily without a firm center. The onion should look translucent, cabbage soft, and greens dark and wilted.
- Chop the cooked turkey into bite-size pieces, removing any bone or firm pieces. Add two cups once the vegetables are tender.
- Simmer the soup for five more minutes to warm the cooked turkey through. The meat should remain moist and separate into natural fibers.
- Ladle the hot soup into bowls, distributing broth, vegetables, and turkey evenly.
Notes
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