At Abe & Ida we don't believe in making you scroll through a long boring story about how we came to this recipe. We are all too busy for that! This is a family favorite chocked full of veggies, high in folate (B9) and protein and can even be made vegetarian/vegan with just a few substitutes. Enjoy!
Supplies Needed:
- Dutch Oven/Large Pot
- Wooden Spoon
- Cutting Board
- Kitchen knife
- Measuring cup and spoons
Shopping Ingredients:
- 1 lb Ground Turkey: I prefer the 93% lean organic. 99% lean is just too dry.
- 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil: This helps saute the onion and garlic.
- 1 Yellow Onion: 1 yellow onion you'll chop
- 6 Carrots: 5-6 whole loose carrots, peeled and chopped
- Garlic: 3-5 cloves, depending on how garlicy you want it
- Spices Options: Red chili pepper flakes, chili powder, cumin curry powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Diced Tomatoes: You’ll need one large 28-ounce can.
- Vegetable Broth: 5-6 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup of Lentils: I usually use brown lentils. Rinse before use.
- Spinach: You can use fresh, but I use 1/2 a bag of frozen
- 1 Sweet Potato: 1 large, peeled and chopped
Cooking Instructions: Makes 8-10 servings. I'd set out some glass Tupperware to freeze a serving or two for another day.
Step 1: Coat the bottom of a large Dutch oven or pot with olive oil over medium heat.
Step 2: Add in chopped onion, sweet potato and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Then, add in minced garlic, stir and cook for 30 seconds.
Step 3: Move the onions and carrots to the sides of the pot and add the ground turkey to the middle. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes, breaking turkey up with a stirring utensil as it cooks and mixing in the onions and carrots. Add in your choice of spices listed above such as cumin or red chili pepper flakes, onion powder, salt, and pepper and cook for additional 3 minutes.
Step 4: Pour in the diced tomatoes, stir and cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Then, add in the vegetable brot. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil, then add in rinsed lentils, stir and reduce heat, so the soup is at a simmer.
Step 5: Partially cover the pot with a lid and allow soup to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and cooked. Stir occasionally.
Step 6: Add frozen spinach. Have a little taste to modify any spices.
Additional Notes: I usually serve this with a whole wheat sourdough from a local bakery that I toast and serve with butter.
