Crisp air and autumn walks make us long for something warming. I live on different variations of this soup throughout the autumn and winter months. This version with beans is hearty enough for a meal and a good way to use up those turkey leftovers. Purchase a good quality stock or make a quick one yourself by simmering the Thanksgiving carcass with a few onions and carrots, a bay leaf, and some peppercorns. Pour it through a sieve and you have liquid gold.
Ingredients
- 8 cups turkey of chicken stock
- 1/2 cup thick cut bacon lardons + 1/2 cup water
- 1 onion, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 4 small carrots, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 3/4 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- a splash dry vermouth (just under 1/4 cup)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 small bunch collard greens, about 8 to 10 leaves
- 14 ounce can navy beans
- 2 cups chopped or shredded turkey (leftover is ideal)
- Parmesan for finishing
Instructions
Heat your turkey stock slowly and keep warm. In a second, large stock pot, heat the lardons and water on medium to render the fat. Eventually the water will disappear and the lardons will begin to fry. Once crisp, drain and remove from pan, leaving about 2 Tbsp of the fat.
Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until just soft, then add carrots and sauté for a further 5 minutes. Add the cayenne and chili flakes and fry for a few seconds, then add the vermouth and deglaze the pan. Add the tomato paste and mix through until you have a nice slurry. Slowly add the turkey stock. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the carrots are just tender but still have a bit of bite.
Meanwhile prepare the collard greens by washing thoroughly, removing the central vein, and chopping into bite-size pieces. Add the greens to the soup pot and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Test the greens. They should be tender. If they are, add the navy beans and the turkey and stir through, leaving to simmer for a few minutes more until all ingredients are thoroughly heated.
Ladle into bowls, finish with some grated Parmesan, and serve with a nice crusty baguette.
