15-Bean Smoked Turkey Soup (Printable)

Slow-cooked soup with 15 beans and smoked turkey, rich in flavor and perfect for chilly days.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Beans

01 - 1 (20 oz) bag 15-bean soup mix, rinsed and sorted

→ Meats

02 - 1.5 lbs smoked turkey wings or legs

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 3 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

→ Liquids

08 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 2 cups water

→ Spices & Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - 1 teaspoon paprika
12 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
16 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Rinse and sort the 15-bean soup mix, discarding any debris or damaged beans.
02 - Place rinsed beans, smoked turkey, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and diced tomatoes into the crockpot.
03 - Pour in chicken broth and water. Add thyme, paprika, black pepper, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and red pepper flakes if desired. Stir gently to combine all ingredients.
04 - Cover and cook on LOW setting for 8 hours until beans are tender and turkey is falling off the bone.
05 - Remove smoked turkey pieces from the crockpot. Discard skin and bones, then shred the meat and return it to the soup.
06 - Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Remove bay leaf before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely hands-off once everything goes into the crockpot, leaving you free to do literally anything else.
  • The smoky turkey adds real depth without requiring any complicated technique or special ingredients.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day, and it freezes beautifully for those weeks when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
  • Salting at the end instead of the beginning is not being cautious—it's how you avoid an under-seasoned soup that no amount of salt at the table can fix.
  • The beans will continue to soften even after cooking stops, so it's better to have them slightly firm at the end of those eight hours than mushy.
03 -
  • If you forget to rinse the beans and taste grittiness, strain out what you can and add another cup of broth to dilute the sediment—it won't be perfect but it's salvageable.
  • Smoked paprika makes a noticeable difference over regular paprika, so if you're serving this to someone special, that small upgrade is worth the trip to the store.
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