The long weekend is over. Time to get back to ‘normal’ life. I wanted to make a healthy meal that both used some of the leftover turkey and would give me some lunch for the week. I remembered a recipe a friend passed along a few years ago and it was perfect for this time of year. It doesn’t actual call for turkey, but throwing the meat in at the end was a great addition. I used Ellie Krieger‘s Lemony Lentil Soup with Greens (from her So Easy, Luscious Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week cookbook, 2009). It’s basic, nutritious and pretty quick. I made HALF (of all the noted quantities) and have tons.  You could also easily make this a vegetarian dish by using veggie vs. chicken broth.

Ingredients

2 tsp canola oil — used olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. green lentils
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
6 cups chopped kale leaves (about 6 oz)
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

Directions

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until softened and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the carrots, celery, garlic and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add 12 cups of the broth, the lentils, basil, thyme, and salt and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, add the kale, and cook until the lentils are tender, 30-35 min, adding more broth as necessary.

Stir in the lemon juice and zest, and serve. At this point I also threw in leftover turkey and let it heat through.

Nice and hearty! I plan to eat this for the next couple days at lunch (and likely dinner based on how much I have, even with half the recipe).