In recent weeks the trees in our neighborhood have taken on hues of gold and auburn, beautiful bursts of color against the blue October sky. As the days get shorter, comfort foods appeal to us—and a soup to warm up a chilly night is what I cooked up this week.
I had seen a recipe for a smoked turkey and lentil soup several months ago when I was exploring the May 1989 issue of Bon Appétit. Accustomed to flavoring bean soups with smoky bacon, sausage, or ham hocks, I was intrigued with the idea of using smoked turkey instead. It’s really a clever ingredient swap, because it offers a high protein, low fat flavor enhancer, and you can very easily purchase a half-inch slice of smoked turkey breast at the grocer’s deli.
Julie Sahni, who specializes in Indian cooking, provided the original recipe for this soup in an article entitled, “Easy Menus for Entertaining.” She noted that her guests “thought [she] had used ham, and that the aroma suggested several Indian spices.” The smokiness of the turkey does flavor the soup in a delicate way, and the herbs coupled with citrus elements impart an herbaceous freshness.
Technique Changes
Sahni suggested presoaking the lentils for a couple of hours before cooking the soup. While I do presoak larger beans like pintos and red beans, I usually just throw lentils into soup stock directly to cook them. I kept that approach here. Sahni ‘s recipe also directed to put all of the raw vegetables and presoaked lentils in cold stock, to start the cooking process. I wanted to make sure that the onions didn’t impart a sharp taste into the soup, so I opted to sauté them, along with the celery, carrots, and garlic before adding the broth.
I increased the amount of garlic and added dried thyme to the cooking soup and decided to hold the mushrooms back until later in the cooking time.
Bright Flavors
Sahni’s addition of fresh thyme and parsley, flavored with lime zest and juice, to the soup right before serving is a masterful move. The vivid emerald-colored herbs are appealing to the eye, but more importantly, the bright combination of those green tastes with a bit of acid rounds out the soup’s flavor just right.
We enjoyed this soup with some whole grain bread and a green salad alongside. It was a lovely way to welcome fall to our table.
Smoked Turkey and Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped in 1/4-inch dice
- 4 celery stalks chopped in 1/4-inch dice
- 3 large carrots peeled and chopped in 1/4-inch dice
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 8 cups beef broth (preferably low-sodium)
- 1 1/2 cups lentils --picked over to remove debris and rinsed
- 6 ounces fresh button mushrooms sliced
- 8 ounces smoked turkey breast cut in 1/4-inch dice
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon grated zest from one fresh lime
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Salt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet or soup pot. Add the onions and sauté for about 7 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Add the chopped celery and carrots to the onions and continue to sauté the vegetables for another 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of dried thyme and stir for an additional minute.
- Add the beef broth, stirring to remove any pieces stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the lentils and raise the heat to high. Once the soup has come to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer. If any scum appears on the surface, carefully skim it off and discard.
- Partially cover the pot and cook at a simmer for about an hour.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the soup and continue cooking, partiallly covered, over low heat another 30 minutes.
- When the soup is near its finished cooking time, finely chop the parsley and thyme and transfer to small bowl. Add the lime zest and lime juice and stir to combine. Set this herb mixture aside to use later.
- Taste the soup to ensure that the lentils are soft. If so, use a potato masher or other implement to crush some of the lentils and create a creamy base within the soup.
- Add the diced smoked turkey and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Stir the herb mixture into the soup. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Looks really yummy!