This Turkey, Butternut Squash and Kale Soup Tastes Just Like Thanksgiving – San Diego Union-Tribune

By G. Daniela Galarza

The Washington Post

There are only two things I love about Thanksgiving in America: the food and the people who eat that food with me. Recently, when I wanted a taste of those comforting flavors—but didn’t feel like cooking a multi-course meal—I came up with this soup recipe, reminiscent of the sage-scented turkey, sweet pumpkin, stewed vegetables, and buttery filling that comes with often a Thanksgiving table.

The smells and textures of those dishes on the same plate, in the same bite, are so deeply ingrained in my mind that as soon as I notice a golden tray with crimson edges fall at my feet, my brain fast-forwards to the image of the Thanksgiving table from last year. This year that moment took place in the second week of September. That’s when I developed this recipe for a soup that tastes best during the harvest holidays.

Last year I celebrated Thanksgiving with my family in Tucson. There was roasted pumpkin, stewed greens, polished turkey, all the potatoes and a mountain of herb-laden stuffing. That memory inspired this soup, which starts with the basic combination of onions, carrots and celery. Sprigs of herbs are added together with extra lean ground turkey. (Using fattier meat will make the soup greasy if not drained.) Once the meat is broken up and cooked, add a splash of wine if desired, followed by diced pumpkin and plenty of stock. Chopped kale melts into the bubbling broth toward the end.

I chose to use frozen pumpkin cubes here because it’s so much easier to handle, but you can substitute fresh if you prefer. Because the turkey is ground, it quickly absorbs flavors as it cooks and releases those flavors into the stock as it simmers. This also means that this soup does not have a long cooking time; a blessing for a weeknight.

The crowning touch, an idea I’m particularly proud of, is a handful of filling croutons placed on top of each bowl just before it is served. The dried, seasoned bread cubes slowly soften in the hot soup. As they do, they turn into a filling, while the top ones remain crispy. You could make your own seasoned croutons, but I’ve tried several packaged filling mixes and found that using store-bought was both faster and better.

This tastes like my ideal Thanksgiving meal, but feel free to make it your own Thanksgiving-in-a-bowl. You can skip the pumpkin and add diced sweet potatoes or simmer halved baby potatoes until creamy, mashed potato-like lumps. You can use chopped kale or green beans if you prefer that over kale. And if you’re only really celebrating Thanksgiving for the sides, skip the ground turkey, add browned, sliced ​​mushrooms — or just a rich mushroom-heavy broth — and serve the sides in a bowl.

The only thing missing is the warm feeling of camaraderie, but we will experience that in a few weeks. And keep this recipe handy. I’ve included instructions on how to make it with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and more.

Thanksgiving soup

This soup with turkey, kale, butternut squash and stuffing croutons on top is for when you want the taste of a Thanksgiving meal in less than an hour. Ground turkey, seasoned in the pan, helps the soup cook quickly. Frozen, diced pumpkin also saves time. For convenience, use store-bought filling croutons. If you want to create your own, see Comments. It is important to look for lean turkey. If you are using fattier ground meat, you will need to drain the fat after step 1. Any fat that has not been drained or skimmed will rise to the top of the pan and form an unappetizing grease stain. Finally, feel free to tweak this recipe so it tastes like your ideal Thanksgiving-in-a-bowl. See Replacements for ideas on how to do that. See Variations for making this with leftover cooked turkey.

For 6 to 8 servings (15 cups)

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons of olive oil

3 medium carrots (9 ounces total), diced

3 ribs of celery, diced

1 medium yellow onion (10 ounces), scrubbed and diced

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ground turkey, at least 93 percent lean

3 sprigs of fresh thyme or sage

1 teaspoon salt-free poultry seasoning or Provencal herbs

1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Chenin Blanc or Riesling (optional)

1 bag (12 ounces) frozen chopped pumpkin (see Substitutions)

10 cups low-sodium broth (turkey, chicken, vegetable, or mushroom), plus more as needed

6 large kale leaves, any type, thick ribs removed, leaves chopped

2 cups homemade or store-bought seasoned stuffing croutons, or prepared stuffing mix (see notes)

DIRECTIONS

1: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the carrots, celery and onion, along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the turkey, thyme or sage, poultry herbs or Provencal herbs, and another pinch of salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon, break the turkey into small pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. (If your turkey was particularly fatty, drain the excess fat before continuing.)

2: Add the wine, if using, or 1/2 cup stock and stir, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Stir in the squash and 10 cups of the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, until squash is tender and flavors have melded, about 15 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired.

3: Add the kale and cook until completely wilted and deeper green, about 5 minutes. Taste the stock and season with more salt and pepper if desired. Discard the thyme or sage sprigs.

4: Divide the soup among bowls, garnish with some croutons and serve warm.

Replacements: Olive oil can be replaced with butter or a neutral oil, such as vegetable or rapeseed. Try leeks or shallots instead of onions. No celery? Skip it, or use fennel. Frozen diced pumpkin can be replaced with chopped frozen green beans or peas. You can also use fresh, diced pumpkin, but it will take longer to cook. If you don’t have ground turkey, use ground chicken or chopped mushrooms. If you prefer not to use wine, simply add more stock.

Variations: To make this with leftover roasted turkey, replace the ground turkey with 3 cups pulled or bite-sized chunks of cooked turkey meat and add it along with the kale.

Notes: To make your own stuffing croutons: In a large (12-inch) skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering. Add 2 cups cubed bread, fresh or stale, crusts removed if desired. Season with a few shakes of fine salt, ground pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika powder and salt-free poultry seasoning, dried thyme or ground sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the croutons are evenly browned and fragrant.

Storage Note: Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe by G. Daniela Galarza.

Originally published: November 13, 2024 at 5:00 AM PST