There’s nothing like the happy burden of Thanksgiving leftovers! Reliving the beloved dinner for the rest of the week is a cherished tradition of many. Creating new, creative meals using leftovers is a great way to change it up while keeping those leftovers out of the garbage bin. Cue the ever-popular turkey and rice soup.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic bulbs, minced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 ½ cup carrots, chopped into ½ inch rounds
- 1 ½ cup celery, chopped
- 2 cups kale, de-stemmed and chopped
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked turkey chopped
- 1 cup dry brown rice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions:
- In a large sauce pot, heat oil at medium-high heat and saute garlic and onions until fragrant and translucent (about 2 minutes).
- Add carrots, celery and kale to pot and saute until kale begins to wilt.
- Add broth, turkey, rice and spices.
- Bring soup to boil, then reduce to simmer and cover. Cook for about 25 minutes or until carrots are tender and rice is cooked.
- Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Enjoy!
Not only does this recipe deliciously nod to a Thanksgiving feast, but it does so in a healthy way. Packed with nutrients and fiber, this soup gleans delicious flavors from traditional vegetables like carrots and celery but also has a superfood pop of kale for extra nutrition.
Traditional Thanksgiving dishes may be too tough, not the right texture or may not meet the health needs of many seniors, but this turkey soup can instead provide seniors a nutritious dish reminiscent of Thanksgiving in a form many can consume.