Turkey, White Beans and Greens Soup
Beans, greens and coziness
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion diced
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 1/2 pound ground turkey
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 4 cups quart chicken stock
- 2 15- ounce cans cannellini beans or other white beans, drained and rinsed see Notes
- 1 Parmesan Reggiano rind optional
- 11 ounces 1 bunch greens, such as kale, chard, spinach, mustard greens or collard greens, chopped into bite-sized pieces see Notes
- 1 cup chopped fresh soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, cilantro, tarragon, chives or a combination see Notes
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Garnish with grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven (at least 4 quarts) over medium. Add the oil and heat, about 30 seconds.
- Add the onion and carrot, and sauté until very soft and brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, cumin and red-pepper flakes to the pot, and sauté until paste darkens, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the turkey, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, and sauté, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is browned in spots, 4 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in the stock, beans and Parmesan Reggiano rind (if using). Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and let simmer until the soup is thick and flavorful, 15 to 25 minutes. If you prefer a thicker broth, you can smash some of the beans with the back of the spoon to release their starch. Or leave the beans whole for a brothier soup.
- Stir in the greens and simmer until they are very soft. This will take 5 to 10 minutes for most greens, but tough collard greens might take 15 minutes. (Add a little water if the broth gets too reduced.)
- Stir the herbs and lemon juice (start with 1/4 cup and taste adding more to taste) into the pot, taste and add more salt, cumin, red pepper flakes and lemon until the broth is lively and bright-tasting.
- Remove the Parmesan Reggiano rind before serving.
- Serve soup in bowls sprinkled with grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese.
Notes
- If you prefer to use dried beans, start with 1/2 pound (8 ounces) dried beans (when cooked it will be the equivalent of 2 15-ounce cans of beans). Here’s an easy method to cook them—Cooking Dried Beans. You can prepare these two days in advance, drain, cool, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- I used a mixture of kale, spinach and chard (in a clamshell)—there was no need to chop these greens as they are all pretty small.
- I used a combination of parsley, mint and basil—over half was parsley.
- The recipe can be doubled. Use a 7 to 8 quart pot or Dutch oven.
- This soup freezes well.
