Turkey, Kale and Brown Rice Soup

As luck would have it, I was watching the Food Network and saw my bestie, Giada, making this soup last week and it looked quite yummy and healthy too.  I managed to squeeze some Food Network in between my new obsession, Downton Abbey! Yes, my life has become PBS and the Food Network. What is happening?? Who am I?? Well, that’s for another blog, we’ll talk about this yummy soup this time. I don’t want you to charge me for therapy sessions.

This soup was so flavorful and easy to make. I’ve been trying to cook more with kale since it’s so good for you. Who doesn’t need some more greens in their diet, right? Two thumbs up from the hubby too!

Here’s what you need to get started.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 to 4 large shallots, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/3 cups)  - cut mine a bit smaller than Giada
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 8 ounces ground white turkey meat, broken into small chunks
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
• 5-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
• One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice. I used the ones with garlic and Italian seasonings, but whatever you have is fine.
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 small bunch kale, coarsely chopped (about 4 packed cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional. I didn’t use for garnish, but I’m sure it would be yummy.

Directions

Let's get those veggies chopped first.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrots and bell pepper and sauté, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to brown and soften slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the ground turkey and stir until the meat turns white and begins to color very slightly around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the herbes de Provence and stir, 1 minute. Add 5 cups broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

Stir in the kale and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and add the cooked brown rice.

As you can see from the picture, at this point I didn’t think the soup had quite enough broth so I added another cup and will need to add more for my left overs. Just be prepared to add another cup or two as needed.

Now doesn't that yummy??

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with parsley and Parmesan, if using, serve and enjoy!