Variations and recipe tips This recipe can easily be made vegan/vegetarian by substituting the ground turkey with 2 cups diced winter squash, 1 pound chopped and sautéed mushrooms or 2 cups prepared beans. Easily prepare the recipe using a slow cooker. Follow steps numbers 1 and 2. When you are ready to turn your slow cooker, add the cooked turkey and vegetables to the remaining ingredients and follow the slow cooker instructions for a cooking guide. You won't use the whole can of tomato paste for this recipe, so freeze it for later use: scoop tablespoon-sized portions onto waxed paper and freeze. Once frozen, the paste can be placed in a sealable bag for later use. Often when using pasta or rice in soups, the starch will continue to cook, absorbing liquid, even when removed from the heat, which results in a stew-like soup. To avoid that, you may cook the rice separately and add it in just prior to serving.