Thanksgiving is over and I, for one, am tired of turkey. However, it didn't stop me from making this soup from Melissa Clark of the NYT Cooking section, which includes ground turkey.
This isn't simply a Thanksgiving do-over, but a light, lemony, low-fat, low-calorie and low in WW Points concoction that's anything but heavy.
There are complex flavors going on here. Grated fresh ginger adds a 'je ne sais quoi' (French for indescribable, but in a good way) quality that blends beautifully with the herbs and lemon juice added at the end of cooking.
The recipe calls for 1/2 pound of ground turkey, which is typically sold in 1-pound packages. Easy fix for that: you can freeze 1/2 pound in a ziplock bag for future soup.
Melissa gives very exact cooking instructions in her recipes. I've simplified them just a bit here, keeping the essence of her methods intact. I added the juice of 1/2 lemon just before serving. You can add more cumin, salt and/or lemon juice until your soup is, in Melissa's words, "bright-tasting."
This is the perfect post-Thanksgiving remedy to whatever ails you: overindulgence, sniffles, flu, even pre-holiday jitters.
When life gives you lemons... make soup.
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 bunch lacinato or tuscan kale
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
3/4 tbsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1/2 lb. ground turkey breast
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 cups (1 quart) chicken broth
2 (15-oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, chives or a combination
Fresh lemon juice (start with 1/2 lemon)
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add oil and sauté onion and carrot until very soft and brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse kale and cut leaves off tough stems. Chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
When onion is golden, add tomato paste, 3/4 tsp. cumin and 1/8 tsp. red-pepper flakes to the pot. Sauté until paste darkens, about 1 minute. Add turkey, garlic, ginger and 1 tsp. salt and sauté, breaking up the meat with your spoon, until turkey is browned in spots, 4 to 7 minutes.
Add broth and beans and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until the soup is thick and flavorful, about 15 minutes. If you like thicker soup, you can smash some of the beans with the back of the spoon. Or leave the beans whole for a brothier soup.
Add the kale and simmer until it is tender, about 10 minutes. Add a little water if the broth gets too reduced.
Stir in herbs and lemon juice, taste and add more salt, cumin and lemon juice until the broth is lively and bright-tasting.
Serves 4