Ground Turkey Taco Soup Recipe (Petrified Forest National Park)

Ground turkey taco soup recipe inspired by: Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona (alternatively: Saguaro National Park or Mesa Verde National Park).

Super-easy to make, low-calorie and, above all, absolutely packed with flavor, this ground turkey taco soup recipe inspired by Petrified Forest National Park will be an instant hit in your household.

This is literally a taco in liquid form, served in a bowl with all the toppings you like. I found my inspiration for these taco soup recipe in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona.

Although the park is most famous for its petrified wood and spectacular badlands, it’s also home to some Native American archaeological sites.

People have lived in the Petrified Forest area for more than 12,000 years, using natural resources like the petrified wood itself, local plants and animals for survival. Eventually, they began producing products and established a thriving culture centered on agriculture.

The best-preserved sites of the Pueblo Culture in Petrified Forest National Park are Agate House and Puerco Pueblo. Both are reminders of how to Pueblo People lived in this seemingly harsh environment.

The Pueblo People cultivated crops like sunflowers, beans, squash and, especially, corn, while enhancing their diet by gathering wild plants and hunting animals, including rabbits and turkeys.

This Petrified Forest National Park-inspired recipe honors their way of live, incorporating several ingredients they might’ve used in their own dishes, from beans, tomatoes, peppers and corn to turkey.

Of course, it’s also a take on a more modern-day type of food—the taco.

What I love most about making these national park-inspired recipes is how they, more often than not, combine history, culture, regional ingredients and modern cooking. So much fun!

Petrified Forest Ground Turkey Taco Soup

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 35 minutes
• Total time: 45 minutes
• Servings: 6
• Calories per serving: 346

This Petrified Forest National Park-inspired recipe for ground turkey taco soup contains affiliate links. You can read more about our Terms of Use / Disclosure here.

Necessary Kitchen Tools

• Large cast-iron pot with lid
• Cutting boards
• Wooden spoon
• Large baking sheet
• Chef’s knife
• Teaspoons and tablespoon
• Measuring cups

Yield: 6

Petrified Forest Ground Turkey Taco Soup Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Inspired by the food eaten by the Pueblo People who once lived in what is now Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, this ground turkey taco soup recipe uses ingredients that are almost exclusively from the Americas.

Bursting with flavor and depth, it's a wonderful soup for chilly evenings, while also being light enough to be enjoyed in summer.

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Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 fire-roasted red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 poblano pepper, sliced
• 2 cups corn, fresh or frozen
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 3 corn tortillas
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

Ground Turkey Taco Soup

1. Heat the large cast-iron pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the avocado oil, followed by the ground turkey. Break up the turkey with a wooden spoon. Stir until turkey is browned and cooked through, about 6-7 minutes.
2. Sprinkle in the taco seasoning and smoked paprika, stir to coat.
3. Add onion, bell peppers and poblano pepper to the pot, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, corn, black beans and broth. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
5. Once boiling, reduce heat to low. Add lime juice and stir. Cover and simmer taco soup for about 25-30 minutes.
6. Serve hot and topped with homemade tortilla chips and your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Homemade Tortilla Chips

1. While your ground turkey taco soup simmers, make the tortilla chips as follows.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Lay the 3 corn tortillas on top of each other and cut into six triangles.
4. Place the tortilla triangles in a single layer on a baking sheet.
5. Bake in the oven for 7 minutes. Turn and bake the other side for another 7 minutes until crispy and golden-brown.
6. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt.

Notes

Note: The calorie count and nutritional information provided below is based on 6 servings. It includes only the ingredients listed in the ingredients list for the ground turkey taco soup and tortilla chips. It does not include any toppings you may like to add, such as sour cream, cheese, green onions and/or avocado, which would increase those numbers.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 346Total Fat 12.8gSaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 77mgSodium 901mgCarbohydrates 33.3gFiber 6.1gSugar 7.5gProtein 28.3g

A general nutrition calculator was used to determine the nutritional information of this recipe, which is meant solely as an indication of the dish's nutritional values. Depending on specific ingredients, quantities used and/or serving size, the ultimate dish you end up making may have different nutritional aspects. Please consider the information provided here only as guidance and not as an absolute fact.

Which Toppings Are Great for Taco Soup?

As toppings for this delicious ground turkey taco soup, you could literally use all the toppings you’d normally put on an actual taco. Here are some examples:

• Sour cream
• Cilantro
• Lime wedges/juice
• Shredded cheese
• Pico de gallo
• Avocado
• Corn torilla chips
• …

If You Decide to Make This Fantastic Petrified Forest National Park-Inspired Turkey Taco Soup Recipe at Home, Feel Free to Tell Everyone About It Below! Happy Cooking!

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