Turkey Quinoa Vegetable Soup

Turkey Quinoa Soup

It sounds odd but it’s true: I cooked a turkey just for the leftovers. In fact, I grilled a turkey (easy and delicious, by the way, and a nice excuse to invite friends over for a fun meal), made stock from the carcass (why haven’t I ever done that before??) and then I made this soup.

Thanks to my friend Dustin at work, I’ve been on a bit of a quinoa kick lately. Turkey and quinoa seemed like a perfect pairing, and so I embarked upon my convoluted  path to prepare this wonderful soup. It ranks up there in the pantheon of greatest soups I have ever made or tasted in my life. Make this soup - you will be so happy you did.

I used vegetables I had on hand, and it being October, I had a fall harvest theme in mind. I picked the last carrots from my garden and then hit the freezer for corn, the fridge for broccoli and cauliflower and  then the cupboard for a jar of roasted red bell peppers - all of which complimented the smokey turkey flavor perfectly (did I mention I grilled a turkey and it was amazing? Yeah and I forgot to take a picture so I will have to do it again soon).

• Turkey Stock - 15 cups
• Quinoa - 1/2 cup (uncooked)
• Turkey Meat -  2-3 cups cooked, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Carrots - 1 cup, chopped
• Bell Peppers - 1 12-oz. jar roasted, chopped (or 1 fresh)
• Corn - 1 cup (fresh or frozen)
• Cauliflower - 1 cup, chopped
• Broccoli - 1 cup, chopped
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

1. Put all of the ingredients in a large stock pot under medium heat.
2. Bring to a light boil and then simmer for an hour or so.

You could substitute chicken for the turkey.

I did not add any seasoning other than salt and pepper; the turkey I used had a strong smokey sagey garlic flavor from the rub and grilling. If you are using roasted turkey or chicken, you may need to add a teaspoon or so of sage, some oregano, and some garlic (fresh or powdered) to add some flavor.

Tags: quinoa, turkey, vegetables