Description
This hearty Turkey Soup with Sweet Potato Dumplings is a comforting and flavorful dish perfect for cooler days. Tender turkey breast tenderloins are simmered with aromatic vegetables, herbs, and spices in a rich stock, while fluffy sweet potato dumplings crown the top, adding a delightful texture and subtle sweetness to each spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
For the turkey soup:
- 2 pounds turkey breast tenderloins
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 celery hearts, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 6–8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Jamaican allspice
- 8 cups (2 quarts) turkey or chicken stock/broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
For the sweet potato dumplings:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup whole buttermilk
- 1/4 cup mashed sweet potato or sweet potato puree
Instructions
- Season the turkey: Place the turkey tenderloins into a large bowl and season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and let them sit for about 30 minutes until they reach room temperature.
- Brown the turkey: In a large dutch oven or stockpot, heat the unsalted butter and extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot and sizzling, add the turkey tenderloins and brown for 3 minutes on each side to develop a golden sear. Remove the turkey and set aside on a clean plate.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add the chopped celery, carrots, and onion to the pot. Stir frequently, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, and cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add herbs and spices: Stir in fresh thyme sprigs, bay leaves, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and Jamaican allspice. Toast the mixture while stirring continuously for about 1 minute to release the spices' aroma.
- Combine turkey and stock: Return the turkey tenderloins to the pot and pour in the turkey or chicken stock, ensuring the turkey is fully submerged. Stir gently to combine everything.
- Simmer the soup: Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer gently for 50 minutes to cook the turkey through and meld the flavors.
- Shred the turkey: Remove the turkey from the pot and place on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded turkey back to the soup and stir well. Leave the pot uncovered as you prepare the dumplings.
- Prepare dumpling dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, and baking powder. Add the melted salted butter, whole buttermilk, and mashed sweet potato. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined; avoid overmixing. Let the dough rest for 2 minutes to activate the baking powder and become fluffy.
- Add peas and dumplings: Stir the frozen peas into the soup. Using a spoon or spring-loaded scooper, drop 2-3 tablespoons of dumpling dough evenly across the surface of the hot soup. Spoon a little broth over each dumpling to moisten them.
- Cook the dumplings: Cover the pot and allow the soup to simmer gently for 15 minutes, letting the dumplings cook through and become light and fluffy.
- Serve: Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves from the soup. Ladle the turkey soup with sweet potato dumplings into bowls, add freshly ground black pepper if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Read the full blog post for more tips and tricks to perfect this recipe.
- For gluten-free dumplings, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Do not overwork the dumpling dough to keep the dumplings light and fluffy.
- Ensure the soup is hot enough before adding dumplings to help them cook properly.
- Use fresh herbs for the best aromatic flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
