Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Soup
Slightly-spicy Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Soup has pinto beans, peppers, chiles, and Green Chile Enchilada sauce for extra flavor! See tips in the post for making a version of this soup with even fewer carbs.
Pin Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Soup to try it later!
Ever since I made Layered Mexican Casserole with Chicken and Pinto Beans I find myself grabbing a few cans of Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce whenever I’m at the grocery store. There are other good brands of green chile enchilada sauce, but Hatch brand seems perfect to my tastebuds, and when I wanted to spice up this Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Soup the Hatch Enchilada Sauce plus a can of diced green chiles gave me just the right amount of heat.
I loved the soup with a little grated cheese sprinkled on top, and for those who’d like even more heat, Green Tabasco Sauce is the perfect thing to add to your soup at the table. (And just in case anyone is wondering, Hatch company hasn’t paid me to mention their Green Chile Enchilada Sauce, I just love it!)
And I know some people want those slow cooker recipes that can cook all day on low, but when you haven’t planned ahead, this is something you can throw together in the afternoon and after a few hours on high, you have a delicious dinner. I cooked my soup for 3 hours on high (and another hour or so wouldn’t hurt), but if you need more time than that, 6-8 hours on low would also work just fine.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
- ground turkey
- olive oil
- onion
- ground Ancho chile (affiliate link)
- ground cumin (affiliate link)
- dried Mexican Oregano (affiliate link)
- canned pinto beans
- red bell pepper
- Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (affiliate link)
- can of diced green chiles (affiliate link)
- chicken broth
- grated mozzarella or 4 Cheese Mexican Blend
- Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link), or other hot sauce of your choice, for serving
How can you make this soup lower in carbs?
You can use more turkey and skip the beans to make this a low-carb soup, or replace the beans with 1-2 cups of cauliflower rice added a few hours into the cooking time. (If you like the idea of using cauliflower rice, you might want to check out Green Chile Turkey Enchilada Soup which is a similar soup made in the Instant Pot that has the option of replacing the beans with cauliflower rice.)
What size slow cooker did I use?
I used a 3.5 Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe.
Want more easy and tasty slow cooker recipes?
You can use Slow Cooker Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Or check out my other site Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker for lots more ideas for the slow cooker!
How to make Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Soup :
(Scroll down for complete printable recipe with nutritional information.)
- Heat a little oil in frying pan, brown the ground turkey very well; then add turkey to the slow cooker. (Browning adds flavor for slow cooker dishes, so don’t rush this step.)
- Add more oil and cook the onions for about 5 minutes, or until they’re pretty well softened; then add the Ancho chile powder, ground cumin, and dried Mexican oregano and cook about a minute more. Add the onion mixture to the slow cooker.
- Rinse the pinto beans until no more foam appears, and add to the slow cooker. (This removes the salt and makes the beans a little easier to digest.)
- Add the finely chopped red bell pepper, Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (affiliate link), diced green chiles (affiliate link), and chicken broth or homemade chicken stock. If you need gluten-free, be sure to use a brand of green chile enchilada sauce that’s gluten free.
- Cook the soup for 3-4 hours on high (or 6-8 hours on low).
- Serve hot, with grated cheese and Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) to add at the table.
More Tasty Slow Cooker Dinners:
- Slow Cooker Greek Lentil Soup
- Shredded Beef Tacos with Spicy Slaw and Avocado
- Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast
- Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Soup
Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Soup has pinto beans, peppers, and chiles, plus some Green Chile Enchilada Sauce for a bit more flavor and heat! This green chile turkey soup will warm you up on a cold night!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground turkey
- 2 tsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped small
- 2 tsp. ground Ancho chile (see notes)
- 1 T ground cumin
- 1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano (see notes)
- one 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed with cold water and drained
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped small
- one 15 oz. can Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (see notes)
- one 4 oz. can diced green chiles
- 2 cups chicken broth (see notes)
- grated mozzarella or 4 Cheese Mexican Blend, for serving
- Green Tabasco Sauce or other hot sauce of your choice, for serving
Instructions
- Heat 2 tsp. oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the ground turkey until it is well-browned, breaking apart with the turner as it cooks. (Browning adds a lot of flavor, so don’t rush this step.)
- Add browned turkey to the slow cooker.
- Then add another teaspoon of oil to pan and cook the chopped onions until they are well softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground Ancho chiles, ground cumin, and Mexican oregano and cook about 1 minute more.
- Add the onion-spices mixture to the slow cooker.
- While the turkey is browning, drain the pinto beans into a colander and rinse well with cold water until no more foam appears; then let beans drain.
- Dice the red bell pepper into smallish pieces.
- When browned turkey and onion mixture is in the slow cooker, add the pinto beans, chopped red bell pepper, green chile enchilada sauce, and diced green chiles with juice.
- Add the chicken stock to the pan you cooked the turkey and onions in, and scrape off any browned bits, then add that to the slow cooker.
- Cook on high about 3-4 hours, or until the soup is fragrant and bell peppers are softened. (You can also cook for 6-8 hours on low if you prefer.)
- Serve hot, with grated cheese and Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) if desired.
Notes
I used a 3.5 Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe.
I love ground Ancho chile (affiliate link) but use any ground chile powder if you don’t have Ancho. Regular oregano will work, although Mexican oregano is great with these flavors.
I make my own homemade chicken stock but canned chicken broth is fine for this.
I love Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (affiliate link) and it's gluten-free, but use any brand you prefer.
Recipe inspired by Beef and Bean Chile Verde from One Perfect Bite.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 419Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 5.4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13.4gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 691mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 5.4gSugar: 8.1gProtein: 35g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Since this Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Soup has pinto beans, it’s probably too high in carbs for strict low-carb diets, but you could double the turkey and skip the beans or replace beans with a few cups of cauliflower rice for a low-carb version. With lean ground turkey and low-fat cheese, the soup is good for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. (Green chile enchilada sauce does contain a small amount of cornstarch and sugar, but the amount per serving is very small.)
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Slow Cooker Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was posted in 2012. It was last updated with more information in 2022.
29 Comments on “Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Soup”
John, so glad you guys enjoyed it!
Pinned this recipe quite some time ago and with the weather turning, I finally made some this weekend. I used Boca crumbles instead of ground turkey and left out the cheese (making it nearly vegan). It was delish! My wife and I both enjoyed it. Its definitely a keeper and I'll be making it again! Thanks for the inspiration!
Healthy & Fun Gal, thank you! So sweet of you to say that.
I love this blog – Thanks Kalyn for helping us become more healthier and happier! Making this one today! 🙂
So happy to hear you enjoyed it so much!
This was sooooo good!! I added in 2 cups of cooked quinoa too but otherwise made it just as written. Definitely will make it again!
Glad you enjoyed the soup. I don't provide nutritional information but there is a link after the recipe for a site you can use.
This recipe was great! I've been in phase one of the south beach diet for a week and have dropped 12 lbs. today my fiancée stayed home sick and my original plan was to make steak and south beach mash. But being he was sick I wanted to accommodate him. This was an awesome choice!! I will definitely be trying some more of your phase one recipes. The only question that I have is how to log it? I keep a log on a fitness planner and there are no values listed here. Do you have some? Thanks again for a great soup for my sweetie.
Hi Merritt, hope you guys are doing well. Glad you like the soup. To cook on the stove I would use a little more chicken stock (at least one cup more) and cook on low for about one hour after all the ingredients are combined. Depending on how much liquid evaporates, you might even need to add a little more stock. I'd love to hear how it turns out on the stove!
Hi Kalyn. This looks great (as always)! So, if I want to do it on the stove top, would I still cook it on low for three hours?
Old-neighbor-Steve's-friend-Merritt
Linda, so glad you enjoyed it!
Kalyn I made this soup for dinner tonight and it is delicious!! I only changed 2 things- I used chicken instead of turkey and I did it on the stovetop. Absolutely wonderful and full of flavor! This is a keeper for me Thank you
Teresa, so glad you enjoyed it!
Being on the SouthBeach Diet, I've missed many of my favorite Mexican foods. This was a delicious Mexican-fare-satisfying SB friendly meal. The spicieness really cleared the sinuses…in a good way! Teresa in Texas
Kalyn, your soup sounds wonderful and it has made it to my must-try list. Can't wait. Thanks so much for the mention. Have a wonderful day.Blessings…Mary
You had me at spicy! Yum, this sounds so warming and good!
This soup sounds like it is super big on flavor! Love that.
Thanks Lydia! And fun to hear you made a similar soup. I can send you some of the Hatch sauce if you can't get it there.
Karen, what a bargain. So glad you like the soup!
My husband went to the turkey factory in central Utah yesterday and bought a bunch of ground turkey for $1.50 a pound! This is on my list of things to make with it!!! Sounds great. Thanks for the idea.
I love everything about this recipe! A friend from New Mexico sent me a few cans of the Hatch enchilada sauce, and the first thing I did with it was to make a big batch of turkey and bean soup. Great (soup loving) minds think alike.