A rainbow of veggies, infused with heavenly broth, turkey, and pesto!
First off, let me address the elephant in the room: What the heck is a stoup?! Stoup is somewhere between a stew and a soup, and often has many ingredients associated with it, making it a deep, rich flavor.
All in the Family
Every family seems to have a recipe or two (or ten) that has been a part of the regular rotation for generations. Well, this Pesto Stoup recipe originated with my family in the early 20th century.
In the early iterations of this stoup, the cook would simply empty out the veggies they had on hand and throw them in the pot! It is definitely one of those recipes you can (and should!) make your own.
(Here’s a picture of my Great Grandmother Binna, one of the pioneers of this recipe.)
To Make, or Not to Make My Own Pesto
Here’s a simple Homemade Pesto recipe if you’d like to make it yourself for this recipe. I actually grow A LOT of basil in the summer, then use it for exactly this purpose. What’s great is that you can freeze it to use in those winter soups!
This video also has two other pesto variations. The first includes sun-dried tomatoes in the original recipe (delicious, but not for this recipe). The second variation is if you do not have access to basil or pine nuts. It utilizes arugula and walnuts instead.
Is It Healthy?
You’re darn tootin’! Sorry, my 1920s southern accent slipped.
This recipe is high in several vitamins and minerals, including:
- Protein
- Fiber
- Vitamin A (119% DV!)
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Folate
This is also high in antioxidants (dark, leafy greens) and low in saturated fat.
If you would like to make this even healthier, consider using your own pesto and broth! This will lower the sodium content quite a bit, as well as any preservatives.
I hope you give my tried and true family recipe a try sometime this Spring! Comment below any questions you may have, as well as any family recipes you are proud of!
My Family Pesto Stoup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Red Onion diced
- 6 Mini Bell Peppers diced; various colors
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 lb Ground Turkey 85% lean
- 2-3 Tomatoes large; diced
- Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
- 4 cups Vegetable Broth or chicken broth
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 3/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Yellow Squash sliced into disks and halved
- 1 Zucchini sliced into disks and halved
- 1/4 cup Pesto
- 1.5 cups Frozen Spinach thawed; liquid squeezed out in clean dish towel
- 1.5 cups Cooked Quinoa
- 6 slices Whole Grain Bread toasted; optional
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside.
- While quinoa is cooking, heat butter and oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook until softened, 7-10 minutes. Then add garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add turkey, cooking until fully browned. Once turkey is fully cooked through, add tomatoes, broth and bay leaf, seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, add zucchini and squash, reduce heat, and simmer 15-20 minutes.
- Stir in pesto, spinach and quinoa until heated through. Serve with optional toast and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Amazing, delicious and healthy meal!