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Turkey Burger Soup

When I was a kid, many a weeknight dinner started with a jar of, as many of us Southerners term it, “Spaghetti Sauce”.

It wasn’t until I moved to the East Coast that I learned a few things about my beloved Spaghetti Sauce. (Or as Davey and Ava like to call it, “Basketti Sauce”.)

‘Round here, it’s just “sauce” or “gravy”. And people sorta judge you if your sauce comes from a store-bought jar.

Well, I’m here to say that while I’m fully capable of making my own “gravy”, there are just some nights when it is not going to happen.

Sometimes you’ve got to choose between giving into a drive-thru, or pulling a jar out of the pantry. I guarantee you, pulling the jar out of the pantry will result in less calories every time.

I’m also going to let you in on a little secret: That jar of pasta sauce doesn’t have to be relegated to just covering pasta. It can be the start to some pretty spectacular soups too. You can use it in recipes just like you would a good box of stock.

Now, my personal favorite is a brand called Classico. I’ve bought it for years.

(And no, this isn’t a sponsored or even a review post – I’m just tellin’ ya what you’ll find in my pantry.)

The Classico Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic is my favorite for everything from pizza to garlic bread dipping sauce, to of course, spaghetti bolognese.

And, like their catch phrase says, they make it like *I’d* make it. No high fructose corn syrup here, thank you very much!

But I’m here to clue you in on my favorite use for that sauce: Turkey Burger Soup. A jar of Classico, some ground meat, a couple of potatoes and a bag of organic mixed vegetables, you, my friends, have dinner on the table, full of flavor and goodness, in under an hour.

With plenty of delicious leftovers too!

When I was a kid, my mom often made this soup, which she called Hamburger Soup, with sautéed hamburger. I’ve lightened the soup up by using sautéed ground turkey instead, but feel free to use whatever you’d like. Ground pork would be equally delicious.

You can also go sans meat all together and beef (hah!) up the vegetable content. Add in whatever vegetables you fancy: mushrooms, zucchini, squash, even cabbage, are fabulous here.

The bottom line is, between the pasta sauce and the stock, you get a robust savory simmered-for-hours flavor, without having to simmer for hours. (Unless you want to, which will only make the soup better.)

[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Turkey Burger Soup – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]

Angela @ The Dancer Bakes

Monday 9th of January 2012

This recipe officially saved my butt for the next week - tons of delicious leftovers for the craziest week of college! It's going on my list of standby's - thanks for sharing!!

Vanessa Noble

Sunday 1st of January 2012

Any chance you'd do a homemade sauce post?

Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction

Saturday 19th of November 2011

Love the look of this soup! I bet it would smell fantastic simmering away in the slow cooker.

PS - While I often make my own "gravy", I am totally with you on the fact that sometimes you just want to open a jar. :)

Amber

Saturday 19th of November 2011

Amen, sister. I needed that reminder - I haven't been utilizing my slow cooker much this Autumn, and that needs to change.

Katrina

Friday 18th of November 2011

I love this! So many yummy ingredients in there!

Amber

Saturday 19th of November 2011

Thanks, Katrina! It certainly is tasty. Savory soup heaven.

Jamie | My Baking Addiction

Thursday 17th of November 2011

I want this - right now. You totally turned me on to Classico - love that stuff when I need a little help from the store!

Amber

Saturday 19th of November 2011

Mmmm Classico. SO yummy :) Pretty sure Brian would love this soup too, Jamie.

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