Tuscan Turkey Soup

More Thanksgiving leftover turkey? You betcha! So what if it is Spring and a million miles away from when you cooked that turkey. If the meat ain't freezer burnt, it's still good. I think soup is the perfect way to use up leftover meat that is on the dry side. So listen up while I tell you about Tuscan turkey soup from Dunkin Cooking the Semi-Homemade Way.

It's good people! Plus it has the added benefit of a sneaky vegetable...pureed pumpkin! And no it doesn't even taste like pumpkin so you really can be sneaky. The pumpkin gives the soup a creamy texture and slightly orange-y brown color.

I did have to make a few substitutions. First, I didn't have "Johnny's Garlic Seasonings." The recipe calls for 2 T of that spice mix. We are big fans of garlic so I minced up 5 cloves garlic instead. I wasn't sure what Louisiana Seasoning was either, but I figured it was similar to Penzeys Cajun Style Seasoning, so I made that swap. I also used 4 c turkey stock instead of canned chicken broth because it was the stock I had hanging out in my freezer. I used 4 small russet potatoes instead of 2 large red potatoes. (I think the red would have been better, but I already had Russets in the house that needed to be used up.) Finally, I pureed 1/2 the can of beans in the blender as a thickener, in place of the cornstarch. I only did that because I like pureed beans more than I like them whole.

Even though I made quite a few alterations, the soup still had the same basic elements as the original. I give this a double thumbs up and I plan on making it again with next years batch of leftover turkey.

Tuscan Turkey Soup from Dunkin Cooking
1 C. - Chopped Onion
1 Tsp. - Minced Garlic
2 Tbs. - EVOO
2 (14.5 oz) - Cans Chicken Broth
2 C. - Cubed Turkey
1 Can (15 oz) - Solid Pack Pumpkin
1 Can (15 oz) - Cannellini Beans
½ Tsp. - Salt
½ Tsp. - Dried Basil
¼ Tsp. - Pepper
2 Tbs. - Johnny's Garlic Seasonings
½ Tbs. - Italian Seasonings
½ Tsp. - Louisiana Season or Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 Large - Red Potatoes (cubed)
Wondra Flour or Corn Starch
Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a large soup pot sauté the onion and garlic in the EVOO until tender. Stir in the broth, turkey, pumpkin, beans, potatoes and all of the spices. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender and everything is heated. Thicken with some Wondra flour or corn starch to the desired thickness you like, then dish into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese.