Turkey Sausage & White Bean Soup

The kids are kind of getting into soup, which makes me extremely happy since I would eat it every night if possible. The concept of everything mixed together is still a little questionable to them, so I have to admit that sometimes I am fishing out just the stuff they like from some of my favorite soups. Of course I swore I would never do that, but here I am. 

This soup required minimum "sorting" so I call it a winner. And because it is so full of flavor, they missed the fact that they (god forbid) ate an onion piece or two. This soup is easy, a crowd pleaser, and generally healthful. It is best served with a giant heap of Parmesan sprinkled on top (still healthy in my book. ha) and a few dashes of hot sauce if you are into heat. We ate it for dinner one night and I consumed the rest at lunch. Yes, a hot lunch! crazy. 

Turkey Sausage & White Bean Soup

Imperfect Polish 2015

serves 6-8 

olive oil

26oz smoked turkey sausage, like kielbasa, cut lengthwise, then chopped

2 leeks, cleaned and chopped (if leeks freak you out, just use an onion)

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of white wine

2 - 15oz cans of white beans, like cannellini 

15 oz diced tomatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

1 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary

6 cups chicken stock

1 cup chopped kale (about one small bunch)

juice of half a lemon

Grated Parmesan cheese for serving 

In a large pot, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil at medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and brown, stirring occasionally until it is all browned a bit. Remove sausage from pot and place in a bowl. 

Add the leek, carrot, and celery to the pot. Sprinkle with just a bit of salt and sauté until starting to soften, about 10 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook for a minute. Then pour in the wine and scrape up all that browned goodness from the pot and let cook until reduced by about half (about 5 minutes. It needs to boiling, so if that is not happening, turn up the heat a bit). 

Add in the beans, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Stir everything together and let cook a few minutes. Then add in the stock and and sausage, and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Turn off the heat and add in the kale and lemon juice. Stir until kale is just wilted and taste for seasoning. Serve warm with heaping spoonfuls of Parmesan cheese. 

Enjoy! 

xo

Erin 

White Bean Turkey Chili

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! My readers are always on my "thankful" list. Truly, it still amazes me that anyone comes here at all! I hope that your weekend is long, lazy, delicious, comforting, and most of all full of love.  

This recipe could be the perfect light dinner tonight or any night this weekend. (If you are not sick of turkey!) This is easy to put together, feeds a crowd, can be made in advance (just reheat over low heat), and feels decadent when in reality it is not. You could skip the ground turkey all together and just add in shredded thanksgiving turkey and use up those leftovers, too. 

White Bean Turkey Chili 
Imperfect Polish 2015
Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lbs of ground turkey (or use about 3 cups chopped up leftover turkey)
2 cans chopped green chilis (optional)
3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 beer
2 - 15oz cans of  any white beans (kidney, northern, cannelini)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
3 tablespoons corn starch

For garnish (all optional):
chopped cilantro
shredded cheese
sour cream
lime
hot sauce
tortillas

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add in the onion and cook until translucent. About 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook an additional minute. Add in the turkey and cook until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks. About 10 minutes. (if using leftover turkey, just throw on in)

Add the green chilis (I omitted these because I know my kids would just pick them out) and all of the seasoning. Then pour in the beer and scrape up any lovely brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until reduced by half. About 5 minutes.

Then add in the chicken stock and beans. Bring chili to a boil and mix together the corn starch and 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Stir the corn starch mixture into the boiling chili, then lower heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes until chili is thickened. Turn off the heat and taste, adjust for seasoning (feel free to add more spices if you want!).

Serve in heaping bowls all on its own or with any of the garnishes I listed.

Enjoy!
xo
Erin

Smokey Lentil Soup with Turkey Sausage

I am pretty sure that you think all I eat is soup. But I can't help but share another recipe that is on heavy rotation. Especially after the gluttony of Thanksgiving. This Smokey Lentil Soup with Turkey Sausage is not a new recipe. I have shared before on Forks & Amusement. It deserves a re-post. There are a ton of vegetables and the lentils keep the soup hearty, but healthy. I love the smokey flavor the chipotles give this dish, which makes it so different from most lentil soups. If you want to keep it vegetarian, you can keep out the sausage. Turkey sausage works well, but I have also used fresh kielbasa and sweet Italian sausage for delicious results. 

Smokey Lentil Soup with Turkey Sausage

forks & amusement 2010

serves 8-10

1 1/2 cups lentils

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, chopped

3 leeks, rinsed well, chopped, whites only

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 large turkey sausage links, casings removed

4 carrots, small dice

4 celery stalks, small dice


salt and pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

4 canned chipotle peppers, deseeded, chopped

2 1/2 tablespoons adobo sauce (what chipotles are canned 

in)

8 cups chicken stock

grated Parmesan cheese

Place lentils in a large bowl, pour in enough boiling water  

to cover them and wrap top with plastic wrap. Let sit for 15 

minutes. Repeat. Then drain.

Meanwhile, in a large pot heat up 1 tablespoon of the olive

oil over medium heat and add in the onion and leek. Saute 

until they are beginning to become translucent, then add 

the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, then add in the sausage.

 Brown the sausage with the vegetables, breaking up the 

meat with the back of a wooden spoon. Continue to cook 

and break it up until cooked through. Remove pot from heat 

and pour meat mixture into a bowl.

Return pot to the stove over medium heat and add the 

other tablespoon of oil. Once it is hot, add the carrot and 

celery. Cook the vegetables until they are just beginning to

 soften, stirring often. Add in the salt and pepper (to taste), 

cumin, thyme, chipotle and adobo sauce. Stir well and add 

the meat mixture back in the pot. Add the lentils and 

combine well, cooking for just a couple of minutes. Add the

 stock and bring soup to a boil.

Lower heat to low and allow to simmer for 30 minutes or 

until lentils are softened and cooked through. Taste soup 

for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve in bowls with 

grated Parmesan on top.