Ground Turkey, Italian Sausage, and Cabbage Soup

Happy Fall!  This received rave reviews from my family.  Even my pickiest eater.  (Good thing since I have a huge amount in my freezer now.)  I've often made my mom's hamburger soup (which she discovered with surprise, was an awful lot like her grandmother's).  This is a unique take on that basic recipe plus left over spices I had mixed for the 4 meat chili and needed to use up. 

Ground Turkey, Italian Sausage & Cabbage soup
I have a gi-hugeous soup pot. I’m not sure whether it’s 4 or 5 gallon.  This recipe filled the pot and I put 21 pints in the freezer even after using it for several meals first.  Feel free to cut it in 1/2 or 1/4 or whatever needed to make it in the quantities that work for you.
 
Sauté in large soup pot in left over bacon grease:
(you could use avocado or olive oil instead, but I think the bacon grease adds to the flavor )

1 red onion chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
6 fresh garlic cloves, peeled, smashed with the side of the knife and then chopped
1 full head of celery rinsed and sliced
8 carrots peeled and sliced
8 turnips peeled and cubed
 
Add and break up with spatula, then cook with above vegetables in soup pot, stirring often and continuing to break meat up as it cooks:

4 lbs ground turkey (I like Costco ground turkey)
2 packages of ground Italian sausage (about 9 oz each)

• 2 teaspoons garlic
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
  
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika (I used smoked)
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt (or salt to taste)

ADD
2-3 quarts beef broth (I used beef bone broth)
1-2 quarts chicken broth (I like Costco brand)
3 cans chopped tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes

Add enough liquid from broth and tomatoes to make the soup the consistency you would like, and also have plenty of liquid to be able to add a bunch of cabbage to the pot.  The tomato is supposed to be light in this, more of a hint than heavy tomato.

ADD
6 packages of Dole Cole slaw mix (shredded cabbage and a little carrot).

SIMMER for 10 - 20 minutes.  It doesn't take long for the shredded cabbage to cook and the rest should be well cooked already.  I left the cabbage just a tidge on the crunchy side and like it that way.

Check soup flavor to see if it needs more salt or seems to need more of any of the other seasonings.  I added more salt and more garlic powder.