Turkey minestrone

 A warm and comforting turkey soup recipe to put your Christmas leftovers to good use. Easy to prepare and low fat, this soup is a perfect post-Christmas pick me up.

Ingredients

    2 tsp olive oil

    100g smoked bacon lardons

    1 red onion, finely chopped

    1 carrot, finely chopped

    1 celery stick, finely chopped

    2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

    2 bay leaves

    2 thyme sprigs

    300g celeriac (or any other root veg), cut into cubes

    200g potato, cut into cubes

    400g can borlotti beans, drained and rinsed

    1 ½l chicken stock or turkey stock, (fresh is best)

    350g cooked turkey

    100g orzo

    75g curly kale, shredded

Method

    STEP 1

    Heat 1 tsp of oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon and fry over a medium-to-high heat for 4-5 mins or until golden, then set aside.

    STEP 2

    Put the remaining oil, the onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt in the pan. Cook gently over a low heat for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the veg is soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and herbs, and cook for 2 mins more

    STEP 3

    Tip in the celeriac, potato, borlotti beans and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 mins. Add the cooked turkey, orzo and the bacon, and cook for 10 mins.

    STEP 4

    Just before serving, tip in the kale, give everything a good stir and return to the heat for about 2 mins or until the kale has wilted.

By Sophie Godwin