How to Make Easy Turkey Lentil Soup

Got some leftover turkey? Here’s a warm, comforting, and healthy way to use some of it up. This Turkey Lentil Soup goes together easily and makes the house smell yummy. If you don’t have turkey stock, you can certainly use commercially prepared chicken or vegetable stock. (Likewise, if you don’t have quite four quarts of turkey stock, you can top it up with commercial stock.) In our house, we usually have other plans for the leftover turkey, so we use smoked turkey sausage in the soup (see the Tips section). Turkey Lentil Soup freezes well, so if you’ve really had about all the turkey you can stand, make this up after Christmas and store it for a chilly “soup weather” day, up to 4 months from now.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 ribs celery, sliced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed, and sliced
• 4 quarts turkey stock (or chicken or vegetable stock)
• 1 (16 oz) bag of dried lentils
• 1 lb cooked turkey, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning mix
• 3 tablespoons parsley flakes
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (from jar or powdered is okay, too)
• 1 (approx 28 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 cup red wine (optional)
• 1 cup frozen corn (optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. 
    

   In a large stock pot, sauté the onion, celery, and carrots in the olive oil until the onions are translucent.

2. 
    

   Pick over the lentils. (As the bag says, they are an “agricultural product.” This apparently means stems and other unpalatable things may be in there. Pick out and discard anything that does not look like a lentil.) Rinse and drain the lentils.

3. 
    

   Add the stock, lentils, cooked turkey, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, parsley, and garlic to the stock pot and mix well.

4. 
    

   Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook at least 1 hour, and up to 3 hours.

5. 
    

   Stir in the tomatoes, and the wine and corn (if you wish). Return to a simmer and cook 20 minutes more.

6. Taste the broth and add salt and pepper.

7. 
    

   Serve and enjoy!

Tips & Warnings

• As an alternative to cooked turkey, you can use a 1 pound package of smoked turkey sausage. Slice the turkey and brown it in the skillet, using 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then, add the onions, celery, and carrots and proceed with the recipe as written.
• If you’ve used home made stock, you may wish to add more salt, but do it gradually, tasting along the way.

Resources

• How to Make Home Made Turkey Stock
• How to Find Affordable Spices
• More articles by bossypants

[survivoryea]

on 10/18/2009 I'm saving this recipe! Perfect for leftovers and sound delicious!

[jeni10]

on 10/15/2009 This sounds so warm and soothing now that the days are getting chillier. Great recipe; saving to favorites. Thank you for sharing how to make easy turkey lentil soup. 5*

[nank712]

on 8/30/2009 LOVE lentil soup, and this is a new recipe for me. Thank you!

[sullysee]

on 7/30/2009 This turkey lentil soup recipe sounds easy and delicious. A very creative dish.

[Jolocol]

on 7/1/2009 I love lentil soup and this sounds like a creative, tasty twist!