Lemony White Bean Soup with Turkey and Greens

Name: Lemony White Bean Soup with Turkey and Greens
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large onion, diced; 1 large carrot, diced; 1 bunch sturdy greens, such as kale, broccoli rabe, mustard greens or collard greens; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; u00be teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste; u215b teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste u00bd pound ground turkey; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste; 1 quart chicken stock; 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed; 1 cup chopped fresh, soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon, chives or a combination; Fresh lemon juice, to taste

By Leslie Blythe Beans, Soup, Turkey Sautéing, Simmering

December 1, 2024

Truth be told, I am not a fan of turkey. So when my husband started boiling up the turkey carcass and announced he was making soup, I immediately found a recipe that's in my mind, a step up from your ordinary soup. The addition of lemon brightens the whole thing up. We left out the kale for my Dad's portion because he often used the word UGH when it comes to anything remotely green! He did an excellent job and I rather liked it!

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 55 mins
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

1 bunch sturdy greens, such as kale, broccoli rabe, mustard greens or collard greens

1 tablespoon tomato paste

¾ teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste

⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste ½ pound ground turkey

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 quart chicken stock

2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup chopped fresh, soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon, chives or a combination

Fresh lemon juice, to taste

Directions

1Heat a large pot over medium-high for a minute or so to warm it up. Add the oil and heat until it thins out, about 30 seconds. Add onion and carrot, and sauté until very soft and brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.

2Meanwhile, rinse the greens and pull the leaves off the stems. Tear or chop into bite-size pieces and set aside.

3When the onion is golden, add tomato paste, ¾ teaspoon cumin and ⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes to the pot, and sauté until paste darkens, about 1 minute. Add turkey, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon salt, and sauté, breaking up the meat with your spoon, until turkey is browned in spots, 4 to 7 minutes.

4Add stock and beans, and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until the soup is thick and flavorful, adding more salt if needed, 15 to 25 minutes. If you like a thicker broth, you can smash some of the beans with the back of the spoon to release their starch. Or leave the beans whole for a brother soup. Add the greens to the pot and simmer until they are very soft. This will take 5 to 10 minutes for most greens, but tough collard greens might take 15 minutes. (Add a little water if the broth gets too reduced.)

5Stir herbs and lemon juice into the pot, taste and add more salt, cumin and lemon until the broth is lively and bright-tasting. Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil and more red-pepper flakes, if desired.

Recipe by Melissa Clark, featured in This Spicy White Bean Soup is a Poem in a Pot, The New York Times.

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