Leftover Turkey, Butternut Squash, and Zucchini Soup

After the Thanksgiving I’m pretty sure that almost every (small) family (like mine) will have some leftover turkey in the refrigerator waiting to be eaten. And the hubby and I have been eating leftover turkey sandwich and leftover turkey salad for a few days now. It’s time to make some leftover turkey soup, and today is such a perfect day to make soup because it’s a little chilly…and it’s definitely a time to get back on a healthy track.

Making soup, any soup, is the easiest and most fun when it comes to cooking for my opinion. Because you can use anything, whatever you have in your refrigerator or pantry to make soup, seriously! Just use your imagination. And I don’t mean like just a can of beer and Sriracha hot sauce! But that is all you have, a can of beer and hot sauce can become a pot of soup easily if you can find some sausage and any green of your choice to add into it. And I’m not joking!

I use butternut squash for my soup because it has been sitting in my kitchen waiting to be eaten since last year! Yes, you heard me right, last year, imagine that?! Now it’s time for a good use. And also, I love eating butternut squash, in the soup, with its creamy texture that make the soup more enjoyable when left them in chunks. With the additional of zucchini and baby spinach and, voila, I have the simplest leftover soup ever in no time.  There is nothing could be more perfect than a hot soup in a cold day.  Right?

 

What you need:  serve 4-6

6 cups chicken broth

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cups butternut squash chopped

2 cups zucchini chopped

1 cup celery chopped

1/4 cup onion finely chopped

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh oregano finely chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme chopped  

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups packs baby spinach

2 cups cooked turkey chopped

How to:
- Bring chicken broth to a boil over medium heat
- On the sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, cook garlic and onion until they are soften.
- Then add butternut squash and celery, seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook another 5-7 minutes.
- Add the cooked vegetables into the broth pot, add chopped turkey, bay leaf, sugar, chopped oregano, thyme, and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add zucchini and cook for another 3 minutes, and add baby spinach and turn off the heat immediately.

Enjoy!

J