Perky Turkey Vegetable-Lentil Soup

This after-the-holiday soup seasoned with Thanksgiving's favorite flavors makes a good-sized potful so it’s great to make, eat, and then freeze some for later. If you haven’t been roasting a turkey, you can brown ground turkey or diced fresh boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the oil before adding the leeks, garlic, and onion. While I like a wide variety of root vegetables, you can go the easy route and use only onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes.

Why is this perky? A splash of red wine vinegar in each bowl just makes this soup!

8 servings

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, well-washed and thinly sliced
4 large plump garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 EACH: medium carrots, parsnips, and celery, trimmed and diced
1 small turnip, trimmed, peeled and diced
1 medium Russet potato, scrubbed and diced
Handful chopped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons dry thyme
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¾ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Pinch crushed red pepper
½ cup dry white wine
2 (15-oz) cans chopped tomatoes
8 cups (2 quarts/64 oz) low sodium chicken broth
5 cups (40 oz) water or more as needed to keep soup brothy as lentils cook
2 cups (14.5 oz) brown lentils (rinsed several times before cooking)
1 1/2 cups (9 oz) shredded or chopped, cooked skinless turkey
Red wine vinegar for garnish

Instructions

Heat oil over medium-high flame in an 8-10-quart soup pot for a minute. Add leeks, garlic, and onion. Sauté, stirring, for 4 or 5 minutes or until softening.
Add carrots, parsnips, celery, turnip, potato, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring, another 10-12 minutes.
Stir in white wine and cook a few more minutes until wine is absorbed.
Pour in tomatoes, broth, and water. Cover, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil.
Remove lid, add lentils. Stir well. Reduce heat to a good simmer and cook another 20-30 minutes until lentils are just done. Add additional water if soup becomes too thick as it simmers.
Taste and adjust seasonings. If you like, pureé a cup or two of the soup in a food processor or blender and return it to the pot after blending for a smoother soup. Add turkey; simmer another few minutes until hot. Taste and adjust seasonings one last time. Serve hot garnished with a splash of red wine vinegar.
Storage: If you cooked your turkey Thursday, cooled and stored it within two hours, and are making the soup today (Saturday), you can store this soup tightly-covered in the fridge for another two days. It will freeze for 2-3 months. (Cooked turkey keeps for a total of four days in the refrigerator.)

Notes

Cook’s Note: If you’re not puréeing the soup, you could add the turkey and the lentils at the same time.