The weather is getting colder, windier, and rainier here. Finally. We’ve been having an incredible and beautiful prolonged summer here in Seattle and it’s only just now that the weather has truly taken a turn to fall weather. As much as I hate to see summer go, I am ready for autumn. I’m always surprised that I am ready for each new season as it appears. Mother Nature has done a good job at gauging the length of time each season sticks around–usually long enough and not too long. At least for me.
The colder weather means returning to comforting, warming foods. At the top of the this list for my family is (other than baked goods, soup. Last night, I made one of our family’s favorite cold-weather soups. Many of the ingredients can be optional, so I will just call it Autumn Soup a la Four Chickens. What ties it together is the cumin, basil, and bay, and the fact that it includes greens of some sort.
Turkey and Greens Soup, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter, olive oil, or combo of both
1 onion, chopped (leeks would be good here, too)
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried basil
1 bay leaf
1 lb ground turkey or chicken (white or dark meat or combo of both)*
1/2 lb-1 lb waxy potatoes, diced into 1/2″ cubes (we like Yukon Gold here)
1 1/2 cups Great Northern Beans, cooked (you can substitute bean of choice)*
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken or veggie stock
1 bunch of kale, collards, or chard, chopped (kale or collards hold up best, but chard is tasty, too)
kosher salt and pepper to taste
*you can use either the meat or the beans or both. I have made the soup with each option and we love them all
-heat butter/oil in large pot
-add ground meat and cook until almost done (if using)
-salt generously
-add onions and garlic and cook until soft
-add potatoes, cook a bit so they are coated with other ingredients
-add beans (if using) and then stock
-add cumin, basil and bay leaf and mix well
-simmer as long as you want–at least until potatoes are soft (a long-ish simmer time melds the flavors of this soup)
-about 10 mins before you’re ready to eat, add kale, collards, or chard, mix into soup
-simmer more until greens become a bit soft
-test for salt and pepper–add more to taste
Enjoy!
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So glad this recipe caught my eye yesterday! I bought a gorgeous bunch of chard and some garlic leeks at the farmer’s market Saturday, and happened to have the other ingredients on hand, so I made this for lunch today. It is so simple and so good! I made it exactly as written, with the addition of a little red pepper flake in the soup and little sprinkle of parmesan on top, because I like that sort of thing. I was going to make some biscuits to have with it, but then remembered the addicting orange-poppy seed bread in the freezer, so decided to just have that for dessert instead. Thanks for another great recipe!
Michelle: Ooo, I’m so glad you like the soup! It’s one of our favorites–and we usually have it several times a month during the fall and winter. =