Leftover Turkey and Vegetable Soup

Good stuff, people, good stuff

Leftover Turkey and Vegetable Soup

This soup came together one afternoon after making two roasted turkey breasts in a cooking class. I had some leftover turkey meat and made a hearty stock out of the carcasses. Scooping up the vegetables I happened to have on hand and adding them to the pot, along with greens, fresh herbs and fresh lemon juice, yielded the most flavorful fall soup. Use your Thanksgiving leftovers to make this next Friday. Freeze leftovers if you have them, or deliver a quart to an elderly neighbor, a friend with a new baby or someone with the sniffles. Food is love.

Leftover Turkey and Vegetable Soup

• 1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• ½ onion, diced, or 1 leek, diced (about 1 cup, but a little more or less is fine)

• 2 carrots, cut in half-moons or sliced

• 3 celery stalks, sliced

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped or grated on a microplane

• 1 fennel bulb, core removed and chopped

• 1 cup chopped green beans (can be fresh or leftover roasted green beans), about 1/2 a pound

• 2 cups chopped butternut squash or Delicata squash

• 8 cups turkey broth (or chicken broth, vegetable broth or water)

• 2–4 cups leftover turkey, shredded or cubed (or rotisserie chicken)

• 1½ cups packed, chopped kale or collard greens (stems removed), or spinach

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (juice from about one lemon)

• 1 tablespoon each fresh sage and thyme (see note below)

• Optional flavor boosters: Parmesan rind, a dash of Tabasco or Crystal hot sauce, more lemon juice

• For serving: Chopped fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese or flaky sea salt