Recipe: This soup is the best way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey

"If you are looking for a quick and easy way to use leftover turkey, this may well be the ticket. The original recipe was nabbed from cookbook author Mark Bittman's book, "Eat Vegan Before 6:00." A couple of years ago I started adding leftover Thanksgiving turkey to the mix. Of course, that changes the vegan status, but it is a darn tasty soup."

"Put oil in large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook until it dries out a bit, a minute or two. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add broth or water and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Add firm vegetables and bring to a boil."

"Adjust heat so the mixture gently bubbles. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the kinds you're using. Add zucchini or other soft vegetables, along with beans or corn or peas. Return to boil, then lower the heat so the mixture bubbles gently. Cook, stirring once in a while, until everything is quite soft, another 10 to 15 minutes, adding the diced turkey after 8 mi"

This leftover turkey and vegetable soup yields four servings and combines olive oil, onion, garlic, tomato paste, broth or water, a mix of firm and soft vegetables, beans or corn or peas, and diced cooked turkey, finished with chopped fresh basil. The method sautés onion and garlic, cooks in tomato paste, then adds liquid and firm vegetables to simmer until tender. Soft vegetables and beans are added next, with turkey stirred in near the end to heat through. Total cook times vary by vegetable types; seasoning is salt and pepper to taste. The recipe emphasizes simplicity and adaptability to available vegetables.

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