Our Arizona winter is coming to a close and not so slowly, the days feel much more like Spring. My soup loving soul is cramming in one more veggie-packed, easy-to-make, hearty and nutritious bowl before it’s too hot to enjoy. Turkey and Vegetable Ditalini Soup is a great way to say goodbye until next year.
This soup starts with onions and carrots sautéed in butter, and then once they are a bit soft, the Italian seasoned ground turkey goes in for a quick brown. Fire roasted tomatoes, Italian seasoning and chicken broth go in next, and everything comes to a low boil. Then comes the dry pasta, cooked right in the soup, and just before it’s done cooking, the zucchini goes in. It only needs about 5 minutes to become tender. Finish the soup with some fresh basil and maybe a splash of heavy cream…
It really is quick enough to make for lunch, and goes very well with a crusty grilled cheese sandwich for sopping up that extra broth.
I like that everything is all there in one pot. My boys enjoyed this soup too – I think those tiny pasta tubes won them over right away!
PrintTurkey and Vegetable Ditalini Soup
A delicious soup to warm you up and keep you going on the chilliest day!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 8 ounces Italian Seasoned Ground Turkey
- 2 teaspoons Tuscan or Italian seasoning blend
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 14.5 ounce can fired roasted diced tomatoes*
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup ditalini pasta (dry)
- 1 cup sliced and halved zucchini
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, sliced thinly
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium high heat, sauté onions and carrots in butter for 4-5 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking it into small chunks with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
- Add Tuscan or Italian seasoning, chicken broth, water, tomatoes, and sugar. Bring to a low boil and cook for 15 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Taste broth and check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper accordingly.
- Add 1 cup dry pasta, and boil uncovered for 10 minutes. When the pasta is halfway cooked, add the zucchini.
- Finish with fresh basil and a splash of cream if desired. This soup is good leftover the next day, but the pasta does absorb some the liquid as it sits.
Notes
*I ran my tomatoes through the food processor to make them less chunky before adding them to the soup.
** It may seem strange to add sugar to soup, but I like the way it balances the acidity of the tomatoes. You can leave it out if you prefer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 201
- Sugar: 4.9g
- Sodium: 896mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.4g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 2.5g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: 54mg
Oh my gosh! This sounds wonderful but looking at your beautiful pictures makes it beyond wonderful 🙂
Thank you for your kind words, Chris!
So simple yet so heavenly! In the parts of the world I live in cannot get Italian seasoning: what spices or herbs can I use instead. A definite must cook even though it is summer here. Thanks
Hello, you can use dried basil, oregano, garlic, and thyme as a substitute. It is pretty forgiving. Just taste as you go. Enjoy!
We loved this tonight for dinner. I added mushrooms and artichoke hearts. I added chardonnay instead of water. Fabulous!!!
So glad! Sounds like you made it even better!
Hi Julie
What brand of Italian Seasoned Ground Turkey did you use in this recipe.
Hi Jackie, sorry just saw your question. I used Jennie-o
This was a HIT! Four teens devoured it. Definitely a keeper. I added great northern beans with the tomatoes and celery with the zucchini. Finished with the fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese…So delicious 😋
I’m so glad this recipe worked out well for you! Great way to get your veggies in!
This is a new winner at our house. My hubby is a picky eater and gives it rave reviews. Only thing I will change next time is the amount of ditalini since it expanded quite a bit. But I just added more chicken broth and it was still tasty. Thank you!
Made this today for lunch. Didn’t have any zucchini so I subbed frozen lima beans. Used homemade bone broth too. Came out delicious. Thank you for the recipe.