Tomato Cabbage Soup with Turkey

A chill is in the air and that can only mean one thing; it's time for soup!

I say that like I enjoy a chill in the air (and soup). Actually, I'm not really crazy about either so I have to experiment with my favorite ingredients and hope for the best. I shouldn't be surprised that this one was popular -- anything with tomatoes, garlic and bacon usually doesn't last around here!

Not only does this one go together quickly, but the flavors of tomato, shallot, garlic and Italian seasonings are deceptive. It's a light soup with the taste of a bowl of pasta! In fact, this is a great way to use leftover sauce from Sunday dinner. If you do that, omit the tomato paste and additional herbs. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit that the first time I made this, I tried a new (to me anyway) product from Progresso. They're called Recipe Starters and I tried the fire roasted tomato flavor. It was really good, but because it contains sugar, cream and wheat, it might not be right for everyone.

Of course there are a lot of variations, most notably without meat but I wanted to add the protein and make it a one-pot meal.

Time: 1 hour
Yield: Serves 8
Level: Easy



Ingredients:

1 cooked turkey breast, cooled and diced
1/2 head of cabbage, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 yellow pepper, diced
2 cups canned tomatoes, diced
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup water
3 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
1 slice bacon, chopped
1 large shallot, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1/2 cup fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a soup pot on medium heat, combine tomatoes and their liquid, broth, tomato paste, water, carrots, yellow pepper, celery and cabbage. Add basil, oregano, salt and pepper then cover and cook until the carrots start to soften (30 - 45 minutes).

In a medium frying pan, saute the bacon until the fat is rendered from it. turn the heat to medium and add the diced shallot, Cook for approx 3 minutes. Turn heat to medium low and add the garlic. Be sure the garlic doesn't turn brown.

Add the shallots, garlic and bacon along with the turkey to the soup pot. Cover and cook on medium until all ingredients are heated through.

Serve with a garnish of fresh herbs, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and some crusty bread.