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Holiday Leftovers Soup, a creative post-feast dish, transforms leftovers.
After hosting my first Thanksgiving in my snug city apartment, I found myself drowning in leftover turkey and a peculiar mix of vegetables. It was the kind of cozy chaos only a freshly minted adult could appreciate. The fridge was crammed, and I needed something to warm the soul and clear some shelf space. I grabbed that trusty olive oil bottle I always have within arm's reach and started the magic. A spare stalk of celery here, a half onion there; it felt like a culinary scavenger hunt. As the aroma filled the room, I found myself repeating Grandma’s mantra: ‘Waste not, want not.’
Adding red potatoes to the mix was inspired by the memory of winter evenings back home, where their earthy flavor anchored countless stews. Fishing turkey shreds from the remnants of the feast, I leaned over the pot, a kaleidoscope of colors swirling in the stock that simmered away. The thyme, my go-to herb, lent that hint of warmth. It was during an impatient wait for the broth to boil that I realized how distracting life had become. In a spontaneous moment of creativity, I whipped up a simple dough with biscuit mix and milk to transform the soup into something more comforting. While the dough rose and thickened, I smiled, remembering Grandma once saying dumplings make everything feel like home again. Letting the soup rest seemed like giving thanks once more, even if just for the reimagined meal and a kitchen that felt a little less like mine and a bit more like hers.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 celery ribs chopped
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 (32-ounce) cartons reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups turkey or chicken coarsely shredded and cooked
- 2 cups biscuit mix or baking mix
- 2/3 cup 2% milk
Directions
- In a 6-quart stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Add the celery and the onion to the oil and sauté until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir the potatoes, the mixed vegetables, the pepper, the thyme, and the broth into the celery mixture.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the turkey to the soup mixture and bring it to a simmer.
- In a bowl, stir the baking mix and the milk together until a soft dough forms.
- Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls on top of the simmering soup.
- Cover and cook on low heat until a toothpick inserted into the dumplings comes out clean, about 8-10 minutes.
- Serve.
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