Leftover Turkey Minestrone Soup

Name: Leftover Turkey Minestrone Soup
Prep time: 30

4 out of 5 stars (based on 5 reviews)

30 min prep

4 servings

Carrot Icon for Number of Ingredients Size

14 ingredients

After eating most of the Thanksgiving turkey, a turkey soup makes for a nice side dish after the holiday. Cut off what meat is left on the turkey and simmer the carcass up with...

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 celery rib, cut into a small dice
1 medium carrot, cut into a small dice
1 (15-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
6 cups Poultry Bone Stock or low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup whole-wheat macaroni
2 cups leftover turkey meat, diced (see Chef Tips)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups packed spinach leaves, washed and roughly chopped
Parmesan cheese, as needed (optional)

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Nutrition Facts

Calories

303 cals

Fat

10 g

Saturated Fat

2 g

Polyunsaturated Fat

2 g

Monounsaturated Fat

5 g

Carbohydrates

27 g

Sugar

11 g

Fiber

4 g

Protein

28 g

Sodium

752 mg

Directions

Heat oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, celery, and carrot and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes. Do not let the vegetables brown.
Add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.
10 minutes before serving, add the pasta and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the turkey, lemon juice and lemon zest, and cook for 3 minutes until heated through. Add the spinach leaves and cook until wilted and bright green, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Chef Tips

If cooking a turkey for the holidays, it’s easy to use its carcass to make stock and well worth the effort. Bag and freeze extra stock in quart bags to add to wonderful flavor to soups and stews over the winter months.

Equal amounts of chicken can be substituted for turkey in this recipe without too much change in flavor.

Registered Dietitian Approved

Our recipes, articles, and videos are reviewed by our oncology-trained dietitians to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and follows the guidelines set by the Oncology Nutrition for Clinical Practice, 2nd Ed., published by the Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, a professional interest group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Institute for Cancer Research and the American Cancer Society

Leftover Turkey Minestrone Soup