I love this soup because it is hearty and reminds me of chili. In fact, I had been calling it “Turkey Chili with Swiss Chard” until I entered it into a chili recipe contest and was told multiple times, by some very discerning chili eaters, that I had, in fact, served them soup. Needless to say, I did not leave that contest with the grand prize. Or any prize for that matter. Whatever you want to call it, it is a perfect meal for a cool fall day. The chard adds a delicious, crunchy element and the pureed beans give the broth a little heft. Serve with some warm, crusty bread and you have a meal. I recommend additional toppings at the end that are totally optional. The soup is great as is, but those toppings take it to another level.
2 tbsp olive oil
3 strips bacon, diced
1 white onion, diced
1 bunch Swiss chard (I used ruby chard, hence the purple color in some of the pictures), stems removed and broken into bite-size pieces, yielding about 4 cups
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ pounds ground turkey
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
⅛ tsp cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg (less than 1/16 tsp)
4 jalapenos, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced* – See note
3 cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
5 cups chicken stock (homemade or low-sodium store bought)
In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil and bacon. Saute until bacon is crisp, but not completely browned.
Add onion and chard, saute for 5 – 7 minutes until onion has softened but not browned and chard has wilted down.
Four cups of chard fills this pot almost halfway…
Notice how the chard has wilted after only a few minutes of cooking. Four cups of chard wilts down to about one cup!
Add garlic, turkey, cumin, white pepper, black pepper, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and jalapenos. Brown the meat, breaking it up as it cooks. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, add one of the cans of beans with about a ¼ cup of stock and puree until smooth. Once meat has cooked, add pureed beans, remaining two cans of beans and stock. Stir well to combine and simmer for 1 hour to allow flavors to combine. Serve with hot sauce, sour cream, cheese and cilantro.
*Note – place jalapenos under a broiler until skin is charred. Remove from oven; when cool enough to handle, remove skin, stems and seeds.
Turkey and White Bean Soup with Bacon and Chard
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 strips bacon, diced
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 bunch Swiss chard (I used ruby chard, hence the purple color in some of the pictures), stems removed and broken into bite-size pieces, yielding about 4 cups
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ pounds ground turkey
- 1 tbsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. white pepper
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. salt
- ⅛ tsp. cinnamon
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg (less than 1/16 tsp)
- 4 jalapenos, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced* – See note
- 3 cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 5 cups chicken stock (homemade or low-sodium store bought)
Directions:
- In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil and bacon. Saute until bacon is crisp, but not completely browned.
- Add onion and chard, saute for 5 – 7 minutes until onion has softened but not browned and chard has wilted down.
- Add garlic, turkey, cumin, white pepper, black pepper, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and jalapenos. Brown the meat, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, add one of the cans of beans with about a ¼ cup of stock and puree until smooth.
- Once meat has cooked, add pureed beans, remaining two cans of beans and stock.
- Stir well to combine and simmer for 1 hour to allow flavors to combine. Serve with hot sauce, sour cream, cheese and cilantro.
- *Note – place jalapenos under a broiler until skin is charred. Remove from oven; when cool enough to handle, remove skin, stems and seeds.
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