This Turkey Cabbage Soup is a delicious Asian-inspired dish that will warm you from the inside out. Flavorful and full of tender veggies and turkey, it's savory with just a touch of heat.
This Turkey Cabbage Soup is the perfect comfort food during the colder weather. Asian-inspired, it has lots of savory and umami flavors, and uses garlic, ginger, and sesame oil to give it a flavor boost. Lots of turkey, tender chopped cabbage, and browned onions make this soup a satisfying and filling meal without it being heavy.
You'll love how versatile and easy this recipe is, too. Once the ingredients are in the pot, let it cook while you work on other things. Make a double batch for other lunches and dinners, as this dish freezes really well. There are lots of variations that work great with the flavors in this Turkey Cabbage Soup, so feel free to try what works for you. You can even make this with leftover Thanksgiving turkey when the time comes. Let's look at what goes into it.
Video Tutorial
Main Ingredients
- Ground Turkey. Or any other ground meat.
- Cabbage.
- Carrots. For the beautiful color.
- Oil. Use any neutral tasting oil you have.
- Onion.
- Garlic + Ginger.
- Veggie Broth. Or the broth of your choice.
- Soy Sauce.
- Sriracha. For a touch of heat.
- Sesame Oil. Adds a nice flavor.
- Chives. Or scallions.
How to make it
1. In a medium pot, cook the onion in oil over medium heat, until it just starts to brown (about 5 minutes).
2. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another minute.
3. Then add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up into pieces, until just cooked through and starting to turn golden.
4. At this point, add the soy sauce, sriracha, carrots, cabbage, and veggie broth. Stir, cover with a lid and cook for about 25 minutes.
5. Lastly, add in sesame oil and chives. Stir, turn off the heat, and serve.
Tips for the best Turkey Cabbage Soup
- Brown the onions. This step releases so much flavor and sweetness from the onions. Once they've become translucent and browned, they will taste delicious and add a lot to this soup.
- Break up the meat as it cooks. Ground turkey, like other meats, clumps easily and will be hard to break up once it's cooked. Doing this makes it into smaller chunks and ensures it is fully cooked.
- Chop the vegetables evenly. Cabbage and carrots can both be too crunchy is they don't cook enough, so cut them smaller and evenly so each piece cooks enough to become tender.
- Make a double batch. This Turkey Cabbage Soup is flavorful and makes a great lunch the next day. Make enough so you have leftovers to enjoy throughout the week.
Variations to this Recipe
- Add different vegetables. This Turkey Cabbage Soup can be enjoyed with other veggies, such as bok choy, mushrooms, spinach, celery, bell peppers, or whatever you have on hand.
- Vary the spice level. If you enjoy a spicier soup, add extra sriracha or some chili oil. But if you like it more savory than spicy, try decreasing the sriracha or skipping it altogether. Whatever you prefer.
- Substitute different meats. This soup can be made with sausage, ground beef, chicken, or small meatballs. Just keep the meat you choose cut to a smaller size.
- Make this dish vegetarian/vegan. Instead of turkey, you can use tofu, lentils, beans, or tempeh for the protein. Any of these will work with the flavors of the other ingredients.
How to Store and Reheat it
You can store this Turkey Cabbage Soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If you made extra, you can also freeze it in a freezer ziplock bag. Just lay it flat to freeze, then store it upright to save room. It will last for 4-6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
What to Serve this with
- Bread. Serve some toasted bread or baguette with this soup along with some butter. The crunchiness of the bread is a nice complement to this soup.
- Grains. Rice, quinoa, couscous, and other grains go nicely with Turkey Cabbage Soup. You can either serve them on the side or stir them in.
- Salad. For a soup and salad combination, try this Amazing Kale Salad or your favorite green salad with this Ginger Carrot Salad Dressing.
- Noodles/Pasta. You can enjoy this dish alongside lo mein or chow mein noodles, or serve it with a pasta dish, such as Easy Angel Hair Pasta. Orzo is another great option.
This Turkey Cabbage Soup is tasty, flavorful, and filling. I hope you enjoy this healthy, Asian-inspired dish as much as we do.
Another turkey soup recipe to try: Peruvian Turkey Soup
More tasty cabbage recipes:
- Riced Cabbage
- Cabbage Soup
- Easy Sautéed Napa Cabbage
- Roasted Cabbage Steaks
- Boneless Turkey Breast Roast
- Easy Pickled Cabbage
- Sauteed Cabbage Recipe
Turkey Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. grapeseed oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 tsp. minced ginger
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 3 tbsp. soy sauce
- ½ tbsp. sriracha
- 2 medium carrots, shredded
- 1 small green cabbage, chopped (about 1 ½ lbs.)
- 6 cups vegetable broth or other kind
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil
- ½ cup chopped scallions or chives
Instructions
- In a medium pot, cook the onion in oil over medium heat, until it just starts to brown (about 5 minutes).
- Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another minute.
- Then add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up into pieces, until just cooked through and starting to turn golden.
- At this point, add the soy sauce, sriracha, carrots, cabbage, and veggie broth. Stir, cover with a lid, and cook for about 25 minutes.
- Lastly, add in sesame oil and chives. Stir, turn off the heat, and serve.
Notes
Variations to this Recipe
- Add different vegetables. This Turkey Cabbage Soup can be enjoyed with other veggies, such as bok choy, mushrooms, spinach, celery, bell peppers, or whatever you have on hand.
- Vary the spice level. If you enjoy a spicier soup, add extra sriracha or some chili oil. But if you like it more savory than spicy, try decreasing the sriracha or skipping it altogether. Whatever you prefer.
- Substitute different meats. This soup can be made with sausage, ground beef, chicken, or small meatballs. Just keep the meat you choose cut to a smaller size.
- Make this dish vegetarian/vegan. Instead of turkey, you can use tofu, lentils, beans, or tempeh for the protein. Any of these will work with the flavors of the other ingredients.
Morgan says
This recipe is divine. We topped it with lao gan ma. Will definitely be making many times this winter.
Tania Sheff says
Thank you so much, Morgan!
Jan says
Fantastic recipe ! Made it and everyone gobbled it up ! Super easy to put together. I used low sodium chicken stock instead of vegetable broth. I made jasmine rice to put in soup bowls and then added the soup. This recipe is a keeper for sure !!!
Tania Sheff says
That's awesome! Thank you, Jan!
Sheri says
I just made this soup and doubled the recipe. I did not double the organic ground turkey breast I used. I added celery, bell green pepper, tumeric and little shell pasta. Green onions as a garnish. It was delicious! Thank you for sharing!!
Tania Sheff says
Thank you, Sheri! I am glad you liked it!
Claudette Biewer says
Looks sooo delicious yummy 😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😔
Tania Sheff says
Thank you so much, Claudette!
Ava says
Such a hearty and delicious soup! I added Chicken potstickers/dumplings, waterchesnuts, and rice noodles. Gave it more of an “oriental soup” appeal. So, so easy to prepare and freezes well. Highly recommend!👍🏽
Tania Sheff says
Thank you so much, Ava!