chunky turkey and vegetable soup with warm cranberry gremolata - leftover turkey, root vegetables, bright citrus topping

Leftover turkey earns its keep here. You already did the work of roasting it. This soup asks for maybe 30 more minutes: chop the root vegetables, let them simmer in bone broth until tender, then stir in the kale and the turkey at the end. On a week when you have nothing left to give a stove, that math matters.

Rutabaga and butternut squash hold real amounts of potassium, tied to fluid balance and healthy blood pressure, easy to overlook on a restricted diet where the basics still need covering. The bone broth base is where the glycine comes from, tied to keeping the gut's lining resilient while it repairs itself.

The cranberry gremolata takes about 5 minutes and changes the whole bowl: tart cranberry, orange zest, parsley, spooned on right before you eat. Make it if you have the 5 minutes. Skip it if you do not; the soup stands on its own either way. The turkey already gave what it had to give at the first cooking. Let this second life for it be a quiet kind of thanks.

Ingredients

For the soup:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or other solid fat)
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large stalks celery, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 large carrots (12 oz), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 medium rutabagas (1 lb), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 large butternut squash (about 1+1/2 lb), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 long sprigs thyme
• 3+1/2 cups turkey or chicken bone broth
• 12 oz leftover roast turkey (or chicken), cut into large bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 bunch lacinato kale, spine discarded, chopped
• pinch sea salt, or to taste

For the cranberry gremolata:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or other solid fat)
• 1 cup (4 oz) fresh cranberries, chopped
• zest and juice of 1 large orange
• 1 packed cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• pinch sea salt

*No AIP swaps required. Fully elimination-compliant as written.*

Method

Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the red onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute until fragrant.

Add the carrots, rutabaga, butternut squash, and thyme sprigs to the pot. Stir to coat the vegetables in the fat. Pour in the bone broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the root vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork.

Add the turkey and the chopped kale. Stir and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the turkey is warmed through and the kale has wilted. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the thyme sprigs.

While the soup finishes, make the gremolata. Heat the tablespoon of coconut oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped cranberries and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes until they begin to burst and soften. Add the orange zest and orange juice and stir for another minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley and a pinch of salt.

Ladle the soup into bowls and spoon the warm gremolata over the top. Serve immediately.

Instant Pot variation

Use the Saute function to cook the onion, celery, and garlic in coconut oil for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the carrots, rutabaga, squash, thyme, and broth. Seal and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Quick release the pressure. Stir in the turkey and kale and use the Saute function for 3 to 4 minutes until the kale wilts and the turkey warms through. Make the gremolata on the stovetop while the soup pressurizes. Remove thyme sprigs, adjust salt, and serve topped with the gremolata. Instant Pot times are estimated and untested; verify in your kitchen.

*Adapted from healingfamilyeats.com*