Leftover Turkey & Bean Soup w/ Kale

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound dried great northern beans or other white bean (navy beans would be good)
• 1 leftover turkey carcass if you have wings or legs, that’s great too.)
• 12 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 3 large carrots diced
• 3 large stalks celery diced
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 cups leftover turkey meat
• 1-2 cups turkey bone broth from carcassor low-sodium broth, as needed.
• 5 large leaves curly kale with tough stems removed

DIRECTIONS:

• Transfer the beans to a large dutch oven and sort through them removing any bad beans, or pebbles.  Cover with cool water and let sit for 8 hours or overnight.

• Drain the beans and add them back to the pot. Add the turkey carcass and any leftover wings that you have. Cover the beans and carcass with 10-12 cups of water. 
• Add the bay leaves, oregano, red pepper flakes and garlic and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to a rapid simmer and leave the lid just slightly askew on the pot. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender. 
•  Remove the carcass and any bones. Set the carcass and bones aside to cool.
• Add the carrots, celery, onions.  Simmer for 10 minutes.
• When the turkey is cool enough to handle, remove any meat that’s still attached to the turkey. (We don’t usually eat the wings — so there’s meat from that along with the anything off the carcass) It usually adds up to about 2 cups — but if you don’t have that much, it’s ok.  The flavor from the turkey will be in the broth.
• Add the turkey meat, pasta and chopped kale. If the soup seems too thick, add additional chicken stock one cup at a time to thin it to your desired consistency.
• Stir in the turkey meat, and kale and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

SOURCE: garlic and zest

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