Happy Thanksgiving to all the wonderful Wednesday viewers! After the “big” day we are often left with plastic containers of leftovers overflowing our refrigerators! This recipe is a healthy, delicious soup that may just hit the spot after a day of eating. It would be wonderful served with leftover rolls and cranberry sauce. Enjoy!
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped (1 ½ cups)
- 1 rib celery diced ( ½ cup)
- ½ cup pearled barley
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups defatted turkey broth, homemade or low-sodium turkey or chicken
- 2 ½ cups cubed ( ½ -inch) peeled butternut squash
- 2 cups diced, skinless cooked turkey meat (10 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
- 1 – 2 cups Baby spinach, Swiss chard, chopped kale (optional)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil over medium heat in heavy soup pot (4-6 quart capacity). Add onion and celery; cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add barley, rosemary, sage and garlic; cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce
heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add squash and simmer, covered until barley and squash are tender, about 20 minutes.
Add turkey and simmer until heated through 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper and salt, if using. If using, stir in greens at this time. Serve, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
Yield: 8 (1cup) servings
Calories 180, total fat 5g, saturated fat 2g, cholesterol 30mg, sodium
190mg (homemade broth, no salt added), carbohydrates 19g, fiber 3g,
protein 15g. If using