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SAVORY

Lemony White Bean Soup With Turkey And Greens From Melissa Clark

Bright with lemon and herbs and packed with hearty greens, this highly adaptable soup—the only turkey recipe to sneak into the chicken chapter—can be either light and brothy or thick and stew-like, depending on your preference. Smashing some of the beans to release their starch will give you a thicker soup that’s almost worthy of a fork. To keep it on the brothy side, add a little more liquid and leave the beans intact. Either way, it’s a warming, piquant one-pot meal that’s perfect for winter.

Photo by The New York Times Company

INGREDIENTS

Makes 4 servings
  •  
  • 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
  •  
    ¾ teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste
  •  
    ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for serving (optional)
  •  
    ½ pound ground turkey
  •  
    3 garlic cloves, minced
  •  
    1 tablespoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
  •  
    Kosher salt
  •  
    4 cups chicken stock
  •  
    2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
  •  
    1 cup chopped fresh soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon or chives or a combination
  •  
    Fresh lemon juice, to taste

 

METHOD

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat for 1 minute or so to warm it up. Add the oil and heat until it shimmers, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.

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

When the onion is golden, add the tomato paste, cumin and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste darkens, about 1 minute. Add the turkey, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often and breaking up the turkey with your spoon until it is browned in spots, 4 to 7 minutes.

Add the stock and beans, stir well and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the soup is thick and flavorful, tasting and adding more salt if needed, 15 to 25 minutes. If you prefer a thicker broth, smash some of the beans with the back of the spoon to release their starch.

Add the greens and simmer until very soft. This will take 5 to 10 minutes for most greens, but tough collard greens might take 15 minutes. (Add a little water if the broth reduces too much.)

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

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