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    Home > Soups Stews Chili > Shortcut Turnip Green Soup

    Shortcut Turnip Green Soup

    Published: May 5, 2020 · Modified: Feb 18, 2025 by Kathleen · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See full disclosure

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    Enjoy Shortcut Turnip Green Soup in minutes or make ahead in the slow cooker! We Southerners love our greens-turnip greens, collard greens, and even mustard greens. We also grew up growing and shelling beans, so beans and greens are a natural pair. The addition of chopped ham pretty much rounds out this perfectly Southern, easy meal with pantry staples.

    We Southerners love our greens-turnip greens. This dump and stir soup gets you in and out of the kitchen but tastes like you cooked them low and slow all day. Served in a white bowl.

    SAVE THIS RECIPE

    I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

    This 4 ingredient turnip greens soup with Rotel will surprise you-I know it did me! Two sweet ladies, Deanna and Martha, always brought it to our church potlucks. I tried it one time and was hooked!

    When I asked for the recipe, I was shocked that it was made with canned turnip greens. I thought canned turnip greens were mushy, drab in color, and flavorless.

    My only experience with canned greens was a can of whole leaf spinach many years and I wasn't impressed. But I make this easy soup all the time!

    But this turnip green soup was so yummy-full of flavor. It just couldn't be made with canned turnip greens, I thought.

    Ingredients

    Just 4 ingredients you already have in your fridge or pantry!

    Shortcut Turnip Greens Soup is made with just 4 ingredients and 3 of them are cans of veggies but it tastes like fresh greens were cooked low and slow all day. Cans of turnip greens, great northern bean, Rotel tomatoes, diced ham with a red cast iron dutch oven.
    • Seasoned turnip greens- One 28 ounce can or two 15 ounce cans will work.
    • Great Northern beans, navy beans or cannellini beans. I've even made it with black beans when that was all I had and it was delicious!
    • Diced tomatoes and green chilies. I usually have Rotel brand on hand but any brand will work. I've even added a larger can of petite diced tomatoes and bell peppers.
    • Chopped ham. I usually buy these convenient packages of diced ham or use leftover ham I've frozen from the holidays.

    Shortcuts

    • Look for a brand that says "seasoned" turnip greens. It's a shortcut because it added flavor without adding any other ingredients.

    How to make Turnip Green Soup

    Piles of great Northern beans, turnip greens, ham, and Rotel tomatoes in a red cast iron

    You literally dump and stir the cans of vegetables and package of ham into the soup pot or slow cooker....well, wait-I do like to drain the beans, first.

    Just heat and eat. How's that for a shortcut Southern soup? Easy peasy.

    My friend, Connie, told me there's a restaurant in Gulf Shores, Alabama called Fish River Grill that serves a turnip greens soup with black beans. They call it Swamp Soup. I tried it last summer. Their soup is much thinner and more "brothy".

    Swamp Soup was tasty but I love how Shortcut Turnip Greens Soup is loaded with good-for-you greens.

    Can I make Shortcut Turnip Greens Soup in the Crockpot?

    Absolutely! Simply stir all four ingredients together in a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or on high for 2 to 4 hours. You can even go longer on time-everything is already cooked. You are just melding the flavors together.

    This easy soup is perfect for a potluck church lunch or enjoying at home on a chilly day.

    Can I use black eyed peas instead of navy beans?

    Yes. Black eyed peas are perfect for New Years Day. They represent good luck and greens represent good health!

    More shortcut soups you may love:

    Shortcut White Bean and Chicken Chili.

    Shortcut Tomato and Bread Soup

    Instant Pot White Bean and Chicken Chili

    Shortcut White Bean and Chicken Chili

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    Leave a comment below the printable recipe if you have questions or want to tell me how you liked the recipe. Don't forget to give the recipe a rating of 5 stars if you love it!

    Pin for Later

    Pinterest pin for Turnip Green Soup; two images. One for ingredients and one for white bowl of soup
    We Southerners love our greens-turnip greens. This dump and stir soup gets you in and out of the kitchen but tastes like you cooked them low and slow all day. Served in a white bowl.

    Shortcut Turnip Green Soup

    Kathleen Phillips: GritsAndGouda.com
    We Southerners love our greens-turnip greens, collard greens and mustard greens. This dump and stir Turnip Green Soup gets you in and out of the kitchen quickly, but tastes like you cooked it low and slow all day. It's also easy to make in the slow cooker.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    SAVE THIS RECIPE

    I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Prep Time 3 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 13 minutes mins
    Servings 6 cups

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 27 oz can of seasoned turnip greens
    • 1 15.8 oz can Great Northern or Navy beans drained
    • 1 10 oz can tomatoes and chiles Rotel
    • 1 6 oz package diced ham about 1 cup

    Instructions
     

    • Combine all ingredients in a 6 quart soup pot or slow cooker. In the soup pot, bring to a simmer and simmer 10 minutes. For the slow cooker, cook on LOW for 3 hours or until heated or HIGH 1 hour until heated.
      It is ok for the soup to cook longer in a slow cooker but not necessary.

    Notes

    This soup can be served as a side dish with a slotted spoon.
    Use any greens you have on hand- turnip greens, collard greens or mustard greens.
    Substitute other canned beans such as black beans or black eyed peas.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 140kcal
    Did you make this recipe?If you love it, share it! Comment below before you go!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michelle

      December 27, 2023 at 9:06 am

      5 stars
      This is so delicious! I'm excited to try it with black eyed peas this year!

      Reply
      • Kathleen

        December 27, 2023 at 10:14 am

        So glad you love it like I do! I love it with black eyed peas, too! Honestly, I use whatever peas or beans I have in the cabinet when I get ready to make it and I haven't been disappointed yet!

        Reply
    2. kay hardin

      December 09, 2023 at 9:28 pm

      Could you use some other kind of meat?

      Reply
      • Kathleen

        December 10, 2023 at 3:28 pm

        Absolutely! Chopped pork, smoked brisket or roast beef, or even shredded chicken. It's also with just extra beans! If I don't have any white beans, I've used pintos, red beans and even chick peas (garbanzo beans).

        Reply
    3. Jodie Kay Baker Minor

      July 19, 2023 at 9:08 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing side - “soup” purb soup!
      Can’t go wrong with this super quick recipe!

      Reply
      • Kathleen

        July 20, 2023 at 9:47 am

        Yes, that's a great idea to serve as a side dish with pinto beans and cornbread!

        Reply
    4. Laura Schmidt

      March 12, 2022 at 8:21 pm

      I made this soup today in my slow cooker it was soooo
      good, and I crumbled up some cornbread in it, I wanted
      to ask you would you recommend freezing any leftover
      that I have do you think it would be ok to do this?
      Thank you so much

      Reply
      • gritsandgouda

        March 13, 2022 at 8:48 am

        Absolutely! I often freeze this soup in air tight containers for later. And you are right; crumbling cornbread in it tastes amazing!

        Reply
    5. Cindy

      January 26, 2022 at 2:57 pm

      5 stars
      This is ridiculously easy to be so good! I used black eyes peas but plan to make it again with the other beans. We loved it!

      Reply
      • gritsandgouda

        January 26, 2022 at 4:17 pm

        I love that phrase "ridiculously easy"! I'm going to hafta use that one! Thank you so much. I glad you loved it. Yes, I think black eyed peas is a fabulous substitution! Thanks for sharing.

        Reply
    6. Karen

      January 12, 2019 at 5:56 pm

      Delicious! I have made this in the past several times with the greens, beans and ham. Never thought to put in a can of Rotel, but it makes it even better. Thanks for the yum!

      Reply
      • gritsandgouda

        May 07, 2019 at 2:24 pm

        I love the little "kick" Rotel gives it!

        Reply
    5 from 8 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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    Hi y'all! I’m Kathleen. I share Southern shortcut recipes! I’m a food stylist, cookbook author, and former test kitchen director in Alabama. I take traditional Southern recipes you know and love (and a few new ones) and make them with shortcuts so you can enjoy them faster.

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    Hi y'all! I’m Kathleen. I share Southern shortcut recipes! I’m a food stylist, cookbook author, and former test kitchen director in Alabama. I take traditional Southern recipes you know and love (and a few new ones) and make them with shortcuts so you can enjoy them faster.

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