Pasta e Fagioli with Turkey

There’s nothing like a bowl of piping hot soup on a hot summer day! 🙂 I was hungry for lunch and had nothing ready to eat, so I put this together using ingredients we had on hand.

2-3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced (more or less to taste)
Celery, 3-4 stalks chopped including leaves (I used several inner stalks)
1 to 1-1/2 lbs. ground turkey
Kosher salt
Italian seasoning
1-2 quarts chicken broth (enough to cover; I used 1-1/2 qts., use more if you want)
1 15-oz. can Italian chopped tomatoes
1 15-oz. can Italian stewed tomatoes
1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3-4 big handfuls coursely chopped greens (I use Trader Joe’s Southern Greens Blend, straight out of the bag)
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1″ chunks
Ground pepper
2-3 Tbsp. salsa (adds a subtle flavor)
Chopped fresh Italian parsley to garnish
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Pasta (Fusilli or other small pasta), 1 serving per person

Heat olive oil in large pot. Add chopped onion and cook over medium heat a few minutes until softened; add garlic and celery and continue cooking for a few more minutes, not letting garlic burn. Add turkey and break into pieces; cook until browned. While turkey is cooking, toss in a big pinch of kosher salt and sprinkle with Italian seasoning (eyeball the amount to taste).

Pour in chicken broth, tomatoes (with juice), beans (drained and rinsed), greens, and yellow pepper. Add more broth if necessary to cover the ingredients. Add several turns freshly ground pepper and salsa. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot cook pasta to al dente.

Spoon a serving of pasta into individual bowls, then ladle soup over pasta. Garnish with Italian parsley and Parmesan cheese. Eat and enjoy!

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