Fall Turkey with Quinoa Vegetable Soup - Migraine Friendly Recipes

It’s my favorite time of year, FALL!  It’s the perfect weather for making a heart soup and what’s even better is that it is migraine friendly!  

This Fall Turkey with Quinoa Vegetable Soup is packed full of vitamins, protein, and fiber, making it very filling and satisfying. Plus, it's easy to make and even better reheated as leftovers for high pain days. 

Ingredients and Migraine Friendly Substitutions 

Olive Oil - I prefer extra virgin olive oil (for cost effective, I grab the big one from Costco). Olive oil has strong anti-inflammatory properties and contains omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Diets high in omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to decrease migraine attacks. 

Vegetables - For this recipe, I use carrots, celery, and zucchini. Vegetables are full of nutritious vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Fiber can be vital on your migraine journey as migraine attacks can cause constipation or be a side effect of medication. You can even finish the soup off with leafy greens like spinach, swiss chard, or kale to add in extra magnesium. Diets high in Magnesium (or through supplementation) have been shown to decrease migraine attacks. 

Ground Turkey - You can use ground beef or ground turkey or even chicken. Ground turkey is high in protein, for each 3 ounces there are 23 grams of protein, making this soup very filling!

Low Sodium Vegetable Broth - I always choose low sodium products so that way I can add in salt to taste as needed. Sodium can be beneficial for health in moderation.

Seasonings - Seasoning can have many hidden migraine food triggers and even contain gluten! I always try to choose seasonings that are high quality and only have the listed seasoning as the ingredient. 

Quinoa - Quinoa is a great source of fiber. Like we discussed before, constipation can be a side effect of migraine medications or be caused by migraine attacks. It is important to incorporate healthy fibers in your diet. Plus, quinoa is very filling, helping to make this soup very satisfying.

Diced Tomatoes - Tomatoes are naturally have high amounts of histamine and tyramine, if you are sensitive, you can omit and just add in double the amount of broth.

Onion - Onion can be a migraine trigger for some, a great migraine friendly substitution is shallots. If you choose to use shallots, they are stronger than onion, so you will only need ½ to 1 whole shallot depending on the size.

Ingredients

• ½ Onion
• 2 zucchinis
• 2 - 4 large carrots 
• 2 - 4 celery stalks
• 2 to 4 tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 1lb of ground turkey
• 1 cup of quinoa
• 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 32 ounces of vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon of garlic
• Seasonings: 1 tsp Oregano, 1 tsp parsley, ½ tsp crushed red pepper, salt, pepper

How to Make Fall Turkey with Quinoa Vegetable Soup 

1. Dice vegetables: Onion, zucchinis, carrots, celery 

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add in onion and garlic in a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. The goal here is to saute the onions to really enhance the flavors. Usually it takes about 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Once the onions are sauteed, add in the ground up turkey and season with seasonings. Cook the turkey thoroughly. You may need to add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

3. Once the turkey is cooked, add in the vegetables and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes or until carrots are soft

4. Add in diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and quinoa. Half cover the pot and bring to boil, once it is boiled, bring to low heat and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes

5. Once quinoa is fully cooked, taste, and add in more seasoning as needed.

Now your fall soup is ready to enjoy!