Lemony White Bean Soup with Turkey and Greens


From: New York Times Cooking, Melissa Clark

Per Serving:
Nutrition Profile Coming Soon.

Makes: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, diced

• 1 large carrot, diced

• 1 bunch sturdy greens, such as kale, broccoli rabe, mustard greens or collard greens

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste

• 1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste

• 1/2 pound ground turkey

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste (I reduced this to 1/4 tsp salt as the family thought 1 tsp was too salty)

• 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

• 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 cup chopped fresh, soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon, chives, or a combination

• Fresh lemon juice, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot, and saute until very soft and brown at the edges, 7-10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, rinse the greens and pull the leaves off the stems. Tear or chop into bite size pieces and set aside.

3. When the onion is golden, add tomato paste, 3/4 teaspoon cumin and 1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes to the pot, and saute until paste darkens, about 1 minute. Add turkey, garlic, ginger and 1 (or 1/4) teaspoon salt, and saute, breaking up the meat with your spoon, until turkey is browned in spots, 4-7 minutes.

4. Add stock and beans, and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until the soup is thick and flavorful, adding more salt if needed, 15-25 minutes. If you like 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.

5. Add the greens to the pot and simmer until they are very soft. This will take 5-10 minutes for most greens, but tough collard greens might take 15 minutes. Add a little water if the broth gets too reduced.

6. Stir herbs and lemon juice into the pot, taste and add more salt, cumin and lemon until the broth is lively and bright-tasting. Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil and more red pepper flakes, if desired.