This turkey and okra soup is the perfect recipe to use up your leftover turkey from Christmas! It is so unbelievably healthy, delicious and nutritionally dense. It’s the ideal dish for a cold winter evening. The soup is super customisable and you are able to make simple substitutions to cater it to your own taste. You would never guess that this recipe is low FODMAP, gluten and dairy free- my family is obsessed with this recipe, and so am I!
Whilst this soup does taste the best with turkey or chicken, you can choose to substitute in tofu or tempeh to make the recipe vegan. Most vegan soups with tofu call for silken tofu, which can irritate IBS and cause flare ups. So ensure that you either use firm/pressed tofu or tempeh if you are in the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet. It is also important to note that the veggie bouillon cubes that I am using are homemade. It is one of the best recipes you should add to your list- these cubes can be used in any recipe that requires a stock or bouillon cube, but they don’t have any onion, garlic or other high FODMAP ingredients. Check out the recipe here.
Here are some of my other soup recipes to check out:
- Creamy roasted tomato and basil soup
- Superfood kale, potato and spinach soup
- Carrot and sweet potato soup
- Parsley butter breadsticks (the perfect baked goods to have alongside your soups)
Some other lunch/dinner options that you may like:
- Pizza dough and sauce
- Fried butterfly chicken
- Quinoa and tofu salad bowl
- Pad Thai with prawns
- Sweet and sour fried chicken
- Microwave wedges
- Smoky fried tofu
- Chicken stir fry
- Tofu, okra and aubergine curry
- Sweet potato gnocchi
If you do not have leftover/precooked turkey, you can use cooked chicken here instead. The recipe tastes best if the meat has been cooked previously and has had the chance to absorb and marinate in all of the flavours. Additionally, the recipe is perfect for anyone with leftover or who has veggies that are about to go off. It is a great idea to pack in as many nutrients and as much colour and variety into this dish. It just helps to enhance all of the flavours, and leaves you feeling full, nourished and satisfying. I find that a lot of canned or pre-made soups are packed with preservatives and high FODMAP ingredients. So I always try to encourage people to make their own soups. They are so healthy, simple and cheap to make, and you get a large batch, meaning you can have the soup over the span of a few days. Soups are an incredibly easy way to get in loads of vitamins and minerals, and they are filling too! By adding a protein in- such as turkey in this case- you ensure that your soup keeps you full for hours!
Some other ingredients you could add to your turkey and okra soup:
- A whisked egg- adding in more protein and fat
- Kale
- Finely diced carrot
- Bacon pieces or lardons
- Sweetcorn (if this doesn’t irritate your IBS)
- A tbsp of gluten free soy sauce
- Gluten free noodles
- Fresh herbs such as coriander or parsley
- Peas (if these do not irritate your IBS)
Okra is one of my more recent vegetable discoveries. Before a year ago, I had never tried okra, but since it is a low FODMAP vegetable, I have started including it more and more into my dishes. Okra is high in potassium, calcium, vitamins A, B and C. It has also been found to help regulate blood sugar and it is high in antioxidants. So, with such amazing qualities, it has really inspired me to add okra to more of my dishes, especially since the high fibre content can help ease some people’s IBS symptoms. However, the vegetable has a very slimy texture when cooked. Whilst this is completely unnoticeable in the soup, this is something to bear in mind when frying or shallow boiling the veggie- if you are someone that is particular about textures.
You can use frozen spinach here instead of fresh, I simply used fresh since this is what I had in my fridge. Just make sure to add your frozen spinach in with your okra (if your okra is fresh, add your spinach first, then the okra after 5 minutes). I used frozen chopped okra, but feel free to use fresh okra, just adjust the cooking times accordingly. Your soup is done once all your vegetables have tenderised and your turkey has become looser and has absorbed the lovely vegetable bouillon and broth that you have created. I am a huge fan of this recipe- the chilli gives the soup a comforting heat that is subtle but still noticeable. All of the ingredients pair so well with each other, I will definitely be using this recipe very regularly!
Ingredients: (serves 2 mains or 4 starters)
- 2 cups cooked turkey
- 2 TheLazyLowFODMAP bouillon cubes
- 5 cups boiled water
- 1 large white potato
- 1 medium heat chilli (omit if this irritates your IBS)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 cups chopped okra (frozen or fresh)
- 2 handfuls spinach
- Salt
- Pepper
Method:
Step 1: in a large pot, boil your turkey in 5 cups of water and your 2 bouillon cubes. Simmer for 15 mins.
Step 2: add in your finely chopped white potato and chilli. Stir the ingredients and leave to simmer for 10 mins.
Step 3: add in your finely diced bell pepper. Continue on a simmer for 5 mins.
Step 3: next, add your okra and simmer for a further 10 mins.
Step 4: 2 minutes before you intend to serve, add in your spinach. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with rice, bread or simply on its own!
This soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Send over your turkey and okra soup photos to my Instagram TheLazyLowFODMAP. DM me in your images or tag me in them so that I see them!
