Cozy warming spices and hearty, delicious ingredients make this a stand-out turkey lentil soup. It’s an easy one-pot meal using shredded or ground turkey, canned lentils and carrots. It comes together quickly and easily and the leftovers make the best quick lunches and dinners. It’s a superb low-FODMAP and low-carb lentil soup recipe that will change the way you think about lentils!
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This magnificent turkey lentil soup just may surprise you. It’s so simple – but far from bland or boring! In fact, it’s one of my favorite recipes.
If you’re looking for a thick, rich, comforting steaming bowl of soup, you will not be disappointed. This lentil turkey soup is a personal favorite! It’s made with an easy ‘mirepoix’ of onion (or leek), carrot and celery simmered with warming spices. It’s bursting with big flavors – this is a ‘can’t-put-the-spoon-down’ kind of good soup just like my Gazpacho Manchego or Carrot and Pumpkin Soup. The aroma fills your senses and the flavor is simply amazing. This is far from your typical lentil recipe.
And, you're going to love the leftovers. Make soup now – enjoy it later! The flavors continue to bloom and it’s even better the next day. You’ll really look forward to your next bowl.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Use shredded leftover or ground turkey – this is one of the best leftover turkey recipes. I make leftover turkey soup using leftovers from my Roast Turkey after Thanksgiving every year. You can also make ground turkey soup by using browned ground turkey.
- Easy one-pot meal – make a quick, healthy and hearty meal in less than an hour on your stovetop. It’s one of my favorite Dutch oven recipes.
- High protein and low-carb – turkey and lentils make this a spectacular high protein soup, while still being low in carbs
- Special diet friendly – this is low-carb keto-friendly with only about 7 carbs per serving and is a scrumptious low-FODMAP soup
What is mirepoix?
Mirepoix (pronounced ‘meer-PWAH) is a staple in French cooking. It’s a traditional flavor base made of onion, celery and carrots that are lightly cooked in oil or butter to release their flavor and aroma.
Are lentils low-FODMAP?
Yes – canned and rinsed lentils are low in FODMAPs at servings up to ¼ cup or about 1.6 ounces. One serving of this turkey lentil soup will contain less than ¼ cup, keeping it low in galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). The FODMAP content can be reduced further if the lentils are rinsed before adding them to the recipe.
The variety of lentils used can impact the GOS content. I find brown or French lentils have the lowest FODMAP content.
Ingredients
- Turkey – use shredded or chopped leftover turkey or cooked ground turkey. I like to use a combination of white and dark meat.
- Lentils – use your favorite. I like to use canned brown or French lentils.
- Carrots – thinly sliced. No need to peel the carrots, but you can if you like.
- Celery – sliced thin
- Broth – I make my own homemade bone broth with the Thanksgiving turkey carcass, but chicken or vegetable broth can also be used
- Onion or leek – ½ of a large onion is plenty or use the green part of a leek for low-FODMAP
- Diced tomatoes – one can of diced tomatoes is all you need
- Oil – use your favorite high-heat oil for sautéing the onion or leek, carrots and celery. I use olive oil. For low-FODMAP, consider garlic-infused olive oil.
- Kale or spinach – or use your favorite green leafy vegetables
- Spices – salt, pepper, bay leaf, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric and ginger create a symphony of flavors
- Fresh lemon juice (optional) – just a hint of fresh citrus adds a brightness and extra layer of flavor
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion or leek and thinly slice the carrot and celery
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat
- Add the onion (or leek), carrot and celery
- Sauté until vegetables are slightly soft, about 5 minutes
- Add the turkey, broth, kale or spinach, diced tomatoes, and spices
- Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. I like to partially cover the pot to prevent splatter, but it’s not necessary.
Add the lentils and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, if using
- Stir until thoroughly combined
- Adjust salt to taste
How to serve
Serve this with fresh crumbled, shaved or grated parmesan cheese and a garnish of fresh parsley. Or add a dollop of sour cream with an extra squeeze of fresh lemon.
I always pair this with Cheddar Almond Flour Biscuits or Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls to sop up the savory, rich broth.
How to store
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or consider freezing.
Variations
- Use chicken – use roasted chicken or cooked ground chicken instead of turkey
- Use smoked turkey – this soup is fantastic using leftover smoked turkey from a Smoked Spatchcock Turkey, Smoked Turkey Breast or Smoked Whole Turkey
- Add additional spices – I highly recommend adding curry leaves and a pinch of saffron. About 8-10 curry leaves and 6-8 saffron threads add a special magic to this soup. If you don’t follow a low-FODMAP diet, consider adding a few cloves of garlic.
- Use kala namak salt – instead of using regular salt, use kala namak black salt for an outstanding umami flavor. Use twice as much kala namak as regular or sea salt because it contains less sodium.
- Creamy lentil soup – stir in ½ cup of coconut milk, heavy cream, or a little coconut cream at the end of cooking
FAQ
Yes – lentils are naturally gluten-free. However, they are at risk for coming into contact with gluten-containing grains during processing, so be sure to look for a warning for cross-contamination potential.
Yes, dried lentils can be used instead of canned lentils. Simply add additional broth and increase cooking time as needed. Keep in mind that using dried lentils will increase the FODMAP content.
One cup of lentils contains about 22g of net carbs. However, this is still a keto lentil soup, as one serving yields only about 4g net carbs from lentils.
Yes, lentil soup can be frozen in freezer-safe containers for up to six months.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how you liked it by giving a star rating and leaving a comment!
📖 Recipe
Turkey Lentil Soup (Low-carb)
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked turkey (shredded leftover turkey or ground turkey)
- 6 cups broth (I use my homemade bone broth)
- 15 ounces canned diced tomatoes (about 1.5 cups)
- 15 ounces canned lentils (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- ½ medium onion or 1 leek (use green part only for low-FODMAP)
- 3 tablespoons oil (I like to use olive oil)
- 1 cup shredded kale or spinach (or other green leafy vegetables)
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder (or 1 inch fresh, finely chopped or grated)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (and more to taste. Try kala namak black salt instead of sea salt. Read more in my Kala Namak Ingredient Spotlight.)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional) (juice of about ½ a lemon)
Optional garnish
- shaved parmesan
- Fresh parsley - coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion (or leek), and thinly slice the carrots and celery.
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onion (or leek) and sliced carrot and celery and sauté until vegetables are slightly soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the turkey, broth, kale or spinach, diced tomatoes, and spices to the pot.
- Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. I like to partially cover the pot to prevent splatter, but it’s not necessary.
- Add the lentils and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, if using. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Add more salt to taste.
Notes
How to serve
Serve this with fresh crumbled, shaved or grated parmesan cheese and a garnish of fresh parsley. Or add a dollop of sour cream with an extra squeeze of fresh lemon. I always pair this with Cheddar Almond Flour Biscuits or Pull-apart Dinner Rolls to sop up the savory, rich broth.How to store
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or consider freezing.Variations
- Use chicken – use roasted chicken or cooked ground chicken instead of turkey
- Use smoked turkey – this soup is fantastic using leftover smoked turkey from a Smoked Spatchcock Turkey, Smoked Turkey Breast or Smoked Whole Turkey
- Add additional spices – I highly recommend adding curry leaves and a pinch of saffron. About 10 curry leaves and 6-8 saffron threads add a special magic to this soup. If you don’t follow a low-FODMAP diet, consider adding a few cloves of garlic.
- Use kala namak salt – instead of using regular salt, use kala namak black salt for an outstanding umami flavor. Use twice as much kala namak as regular or sea salt because it contains less sodium.
- Creamy lentil soup – stir in ½ cup of coconut milk, heavy cream, or a little coconut cream at the end of cooking
Nutrition
*Net carbs = carbohydrates - fiber
Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools and does not include optional ingredients unless otherwise indicated.
Tracey Hatch-Rizzi says
This recipe is one of my family's favorites. I always freeze leftover smoked or roasted turkey and make this soup throughout the chilly weather months.