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As promised, I have another recipe for Thanksgiving turkey leftovers!!! This one is healthier than the last one where I had you melt a chocolate bar into your dinner (see turkey mole tacos). Hmm, now that I think about it, not melting a chocolate bar into dinner seems like kind of a low health bar – but we’ve got to start somewhere. And joking aside, this split pea soup with roast turkey is quite healthy and easy. Fresh out of turkey leftovers? Have no fear – you can roast a turkey breast or use a rotisserie chicken.
Looking for more turkey recipes. Try my turkey mole tacos or turkey chili. I also have a similar red lentil soup with roast chicken recipe where you could substitute turkey. What is your favorite recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers? Leave a comment and I will check it out!
Notes on Split Pea Soup with Roast Turkey
I was presently surprised by the flavor depth this soup possessed. I’ve never made pea soup without a ham bone before and I was afraid the flavor might be weak without it. However, based on the flavor this soup had, I’d say I was mistaken. I’m sure the homemade turkey stock helped but I think the peas, veggies, and bay leaf provide a lot of great flavor on their own.
I tossed a sweet potato in this soup on whim. I’m not sure what I was expecting but I liked the sweetness and texture it added. Plus, I think it’s consistent with the post-Thanksgiving leftover theme. I also tossed a bit of kale in my soup because I had some that needed to be used. I didn’t include kale in the recipe because I don’t think it’s needed but if you have some lying around, I’d chuck it in. You can add it after you’ve blended the soup. Just stir it in and give it 5 or so minutes to wilt.
Suggested Pairings
We paired our split pea soup with roasted turkey with a nice Spanish rioja.
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Split Pea Soup with Roast Turkey
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 70
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
Description
This soups is easy, healthy, and delicious.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stocks, chopped
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 lb bag split peas
- 8 cups turkey or chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2 cups roast turkey
- ¼ cup chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in your favorite soup pot. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Let veggies cook over medium heat until they begin to sweat (about 5 minutes). Add the sweet potato and cook another 5 minutes. Add fennel, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest. Let cook 2 minutes more.
- Add the split peas, stock, and bay leaves. Bring soup to boil and then reduce to simmer. Simmer uncovered until peas are tender (about 1 to 1.5 hours).
- When the peas are tender, remove the bay leaves and use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer half of the soup (or more if desired) to a blender and blend until smooth. Return blended soup to the pot.
- Adjust seasoning and add the juice of ½ lemon.
- You can stir the turkey into the soup pot or simply top each portion with it. I prefer the later method but both work.
Notes
If you are out of stock you can use water and bullion cubes. Start with 4 cubes and more if needed.
Keywords: Split-Pea, soup, turkey
