As promised, this is a recipe for leftover turkey (slightly altered from the diethood.com site). I made this delicious healthy soup last evening and am very excited to share it with you. (And yes, of course you can substitute cooked chicken for the turkey. Or even start by sautéing some raw chicken or turkey just so you can serve this wonderful, hearty soup to your family.)

As I already stated, this is a really, really tasty soup. And it’s a one dish meal. And isn’t that a welcome change from having to prepare a meat dish, a starch, and a salad or green veggie. Especially right now when you might be trying to work from home, monitor and assistant your kids while they do their homework, keep in daily contact with aging parents or friends, plus take care of all the other myriad details (including 3 meals a day) of everyday life while remaining patient and cheerful at the same time! (It’s the patient and cheerful part that would be my downfall if I still had the same level of responsibility as described above.) But there are many people for whom this list of duties (and probably more) represents their current job description. And I tell you true, my hat is off to any of you for whom this is your new reality. Talk about unsung heroes!  

So if you too would welcome a one pot meal, this is the recipe for you. It’s simple to prepare, and contains mostly every day pantry and refrigerator ingredients.

So as always, stay happy, stay healthy, and stay tuned. Another leftover turkey recipe to come. (Well, if it turns out that is!) Cheers!

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. unsalted butter

½ med. sized onion, chopped

1 carrot, cut into thin rounds

2 celery stalks, diced (include the leafy parts whenever possible)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. fresh chopped parsley

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp. kosher salt (if the turkey has been brined and a bit salty already, do not add salt)

freshly ground black pepper  

¼ tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed up a bit in your hand if the leaves are large

1/8 tsp. dried rosemary

1 T. tomato paste

1 can (14-oz.) diced or crushed tomatoes (Italian preferably)

4 c. low sodium chicken broth, or more if you like your soup “brothier” (not in the dictionary, but I like the word)

2 c. chopped leftover turkey meat

½ c. orzo pasta

2-3 c. (loosely packed) chopped kale

freshly grated Pecorino-Romano, Parmesan, or Asiago cheese, opt. 

Heat oil and melt butter in a large covered Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the parsley, bay leaf, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, rosemary, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock.

Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the chopped turkey, orzo, and kale. Simmer until the orzo is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning. Remove bay leaf and serve. Pass the grated cheese.