Leftover Turkey and White Bean Soup

Whether it is just after Thanksgiving or Christmas itself, there’s often a bit of leftover turkey around and that’s the perfect time to look for recipes to use it.  Plus, it is definitely chillier out there in many parts of the world so a nice, warming soup is ideal.  Here’s a tasty recipe for Leftover Turkey and White Bean Soup to combine the two.

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Which white beans?

I’ve noticed ‘white beans’ mentioned in a lot of recipes and when you get into them, a specific type of bean is then listed.  That’s because there are actually a few white beans.  The most commonly used include:

1. Navy or pea beans – these are small and oval shaped, cook quickly and go quite soft so are ideal if you are pureeing into soups, dips or other dishes.  They have a mild flavour
2. Great northern beans – medium in size, these beans have a mild and nutty flavour and remain quite firm.  They are popular for soups and few as well as dishes like French cassoulets
3. Cannellini beans – these are kidney shaped and are also known as white kidney beans.  They are ‘meatier’ with a nutty, earthy flavour and are popular in Italian dishes like Minestrone.  They keep their shape well so also great for salads and chilli
4. Baby lima beans – these are small and creamy with a rich and buttery flavour as well as being most starchy than the others.  They work well in anything from stews and soups to just a simple salad with herbs and spices – a popular dish is served with bacon over rice

These beans are often used interchangeably in recipes.  So, if you have a favourite or can’t get your hands on a specific one, don’t be afraid to swap them around and see what works – you might find a new favourite!

Recipe tips

If you have a soup maker like our Tefal Easy Soup, you could also try this as a soup maker recipe.  I would recommend checking the levels of ingredients and maybe splitting into two batches to ensure everything cooks properly.  You may need to add a little more water if you do it like this. 

Use the ‘with piece’ or similar setting to keep the soup as a chunky one or don’t add the turkey, use the ‘creamed’ setting to make everything smooth then add the shredded turkey afterwards.

Yield: 6 portions

Leftover Turkey and White Bean Soup

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Got some leftover turkey?  Then this recipe is perfect to use it up along with tasty white beans and some spices to add a little kick!

Ingredients

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• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 large leek, diced
• 4 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 t. dried parsley
• 2 t. dried oregano
• ½ t. cayenne pepper
• 4 c. organic chicken stock
• 3” Parmesan cheese rind
• 2 c. water
• 2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 c. cooked turkey, shredded
• 2 c. baby spinach, coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, heat the oil and add garlic, onion, leeks, carrots and jalapeno. Cook on medium, stirring occasionally until softened, around 6-8 minutes. Season to taste.
2. Add the bay leaves, herbs and cayenne pepper then cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the chicken stock, Parmesan, water and beans. Increase to high heat and bring to the boil then lower to medium and cover. Cook for 20-25 minutes.
4. Add the shredded turkey and spinach then cook for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves then season as needed. Serve with some shaved Parmesan cheese on the top!

Notes

Optional Garnish: Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley chopped

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