The holidays have crept up again and today, the day before Thanksgiving, feels more like mid March, its snowing (again), much earlier than I’m ready for. So another soup is in order. I originally made this soup with rotisserie chicken, and whenever I buy a rotisserie chicken I make chicken stock with the carcass, just filling a sauce pot (not a huge stock pot) with cold water and letting it go overnight (or until it is reduced by half) on my lowest stove setting (don’t boil it). In the morning I strain it and freeze it in jars to make soup. I recommend doing the same with your Thanksgiving turkey bones, which you should do in a larger pot, and you’ll end up with a lot of stock for a lot of soup recipes. You can substitute leftover turkey for chicken and turkey stock for chicken stock, in this recipe and really any soup recipe. I roast the cauliflower separate which I think really gives it great flavor, rather than just throwing it in. Lentil soup is so comforting, so healthy, and just so good. Its also a really easy recipe to adapt to use up whatever veggies you have after the big day meal.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Recipe: Chicken Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 leek, sliced thin and rinsed well (onion is fine too)
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 potato (any kind), diced small
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 c brown lentils
- 1 c shredded or diced cooked chicken or turkey
- 1 T Italian seasoning or any herb seasoning mix
- 4 c chicken or turkey stock
- 4 c water
- 1 head cauliflower, core removed and cut into florets
- olive oil, salt and pepper to roast cauliflower
- 2 T parsley, chopped
- shredded Parmesan or cheddar cheese and crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and preheat your oven to 425
- Add leek, carrot, celery, and potato, season with salt and pepper, and saute until softened, about 15 minutes
- Add lentils, chicken or turkey and seasoning, and stir to combine
- Add stock and water and let simmer on medium low for about an hour
- Toss cauliflower florets on a baking sheet with oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes or until golden brown
- Add cauliflower (at anytime after its roasted) and parsley
- Serve soup with cheese and crusty bread
Preparation time: 20 minute(s)
Cooking time: 75 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
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