Turkey, Mushroom, Wild Brown Rice & Lentil Soup for Souper Sundays

This soup has been living in my head for a few weeks now. It started as a craving for turkey rice soup, then it became turkey and wild rice, then mushrooms seemed like a good idea, maybe some veggies, some potatoes and finally lentils. By the time I was finished adding all the ingredients, it became a very hearty, almost stew-like soup, no need for the cream I was tempted to add. I cooked a small turkey breast in low-sodium chicken stock, herbs and veggies in the slow cooker for the meat and and stock, which gave this Turkey, Mushroom, Wild Brown Rice & Lentil Soup, extra flavor and richness. True healthy comfort in a bowl.

Turkey, Mushroom, Wild Brown Rice & Lentil Soup

Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes a bunch!)

1 1 /2 cups cooked brown or wild rice (I used Lundberg Countrywild here)

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 stems celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped 
2 shallots, sliced thinly 

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups turkey (or chicken) stock (use homemade--see notes below, or a good quality low sodium broth or a combination of the two)
3 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 1/4 cup brown lentils

2 tsp dried thyme 
1 bay leaf

1 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced
salt and black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups cooked turkey breast, chopped

Prepare rice according to package instructions. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot and add celery, carrots and shallots, sauteing and stirring occasionally about 3 minutes until just softened. Add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add stock, potatoes, lentils, thyme and bay and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook another 15 minutes. Add turkey and cooked rice and heat 5 minutes until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves and serve with a crusty, seeded bread.

Stock & Turkey Notes: To make the turkey stock and cooked meat, I lightly browned a small (5.5 lb) turkey breast on all sides and put it in the slow cooker. In the same pan, saute an onion, a carrot, and two celery stalks (all chopped coarsely) for 5 minutes, adding 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 tsp dried thyme and cooking 1 more minute. Add to the turkey in the slow cooker and cover with 1 quart of good quality low-sodium chicken stock, a dash of salt and black pepper. Cook on low about 6 hours, until turkey is done. Remove turkey, cool and chop. Pour broth through a strainer and remove any grease. Refrigerate until ready to use. Makes about 4 cups of stock (I added another quart of low-sodium chicken stock to soup to make 8 cups). Makes plenty of chopped turkey breast to use for other things. 

Notes/Results: Thick, earthy and satisfying, this soup, with a little bread, is a meal in a bowl. Vitamins and minerals from the veggies, fiber and nutrients from the brown rice and lentils, along with protein from the turkey, make it a very healthy choice. I would have liked the color contrast that wild rice would have given it, but since I had the brown rice mix on hand, that is what I used. The (mostly) homemade stock and turkey were savory and delicious, (God bless the slow cooker!). I love the flavors and textures in this soup, the thyme is especially good in it. I will make this one again. 

Let's take a look at who came by the Souper Sunday kitchen this week and what culinary delights they brought with them!

Kristen from Sogkonnite Living is back with a hearty dish this week, Rachel Ray's Lasagna Soup. This thick soup is made with ground turkey, lasagna noodles and a jar of her special homemade Italian-seasoned tomatoes and topped with ricotta and Parmesan. Kristen calls it "an excellent soup, different in a good way!"

Speaking of hearty, Heather from girlichef, has a beautiful bowl of her Roasted Pork & Poblano Chili to share this week. A big fan of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine and having an abundance of delicious pulled pork, Heather created this recipe. The roasted pork, along with tomatillos, spices, chilies, hominy and white beans make this chili "earthy and satisfying." Heather says all the roasting, shredding and peeling make this recipe a bit labor intensive, but "the wonderful layers of flavor make it more than worth it."

It's so nice to have my friend and fellow Cook The Books co-host, Rachel from The Crispy Cook back at Souper Sundays this week. Rachel put together a Clam and Corn Chowder, the perfect hot bowl of soup for a cold, blustery day and something her whole family enjoys. Rachel says this one is "a snap to put together", "easy and satisfying." A combination of my two favorite chowders, it sounds perfect to me!

A host of delicious ingredients make up the Cheese Tortellini Soup with White Beans, Kielbasa, and Spinach that Donna from My Tasty Treasures made from a "well-loved Junior League Cookbook". I won't tell you exactly why Donna was craving this soup, (if you read her blog regularly, you can probably guess why!), but thankfully the craving was met with this satisfying soup, served with a Molasses Quick Bread. As Donna said; "YUM, YUM YUM!!"

Suzie from Munch & Nibble is enjoying the crisp mornings and evenings and warm days of summer's end in Sydney, and has started making the move from cold soups to warm ones. She made this Mushroom Bread Soup, adapted from one of her favorite cookbooks; The Cook's Companion by Stephanie Alexander. (A quick trip to Amazon.com and I am now officially coveting this book!). Mushrooms simmered with bread in chicken stock, seasoned and blended, Suzie calls it "quick and easy for a Sunday night."

Although the calendar says Spring, it still feels like winter in Northern Germany so Ulrike from Küchenlatein, wanted a "wintery, warming soup" this week. She found it in this Bacon, Bean & Pasta Soup. Making good use of some leftover Italian bean mix with bacon and adorable little pasta "O's", this soup will fill the stomach and take the chill off.  Ulrike says than even with the streaky bacon, this soup has a modest calorie count and a low GI rating, making it a healthy choice. 

It is always fun to get to know new friends, especially those who love soup. Please join me in welcoming Pam from Lobster and Fishsticks to Souper Sundays. Pam comes to us from Jacksonville, Florida and focuses her blog on healthy recipes, which of course I love. This week she made a special request from her husband; Brunswick Stew. I had heard of this dish, but have never tried it and there are lots of goodies in this one. (I'll let you pop over to Pam's post for all the details). Pam says the "sweet undertones" of this stew grew on her and that her whole family enjoyed it. I'm so glad you joined us this week Pam!

Christine from Kit's Chow is celebrating the beginning of the new season. (Her cats are feeling the spring fever too and chasing each other up and down the stairs). Christine found the perfect Spring Soup, to bring in all the "hope and vitality" the season brings. Adapted from a recipe in a Donna Hay magazine, it's full of all things fresh, green and yummy. Christine says it is "like a tonic. Light, refreshing and so easy to make." 

Also feeling the urge for a lighter, simple soup is Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies who rounded out a Vietnamese meal with "Canh Cai Kim Chi Nau Tom with Noodles!" aka, (the slightly easier to say!): Napa Cabbage and Shrimp Soup with Noodles. Made to go with some simple shrimp rolls for dinner, Natashya added her leftover rice noodles from the rolls to this simple cabbage soup "to make it a bit more filling". She says the soup is "delicate but has great flavor", and recommends small bowls of condiments to customize the soup for different taste preferences. 

Good friends, new friends and gorgeous soups, the perfect way to end the weekend and ease into Monday. Thanks to everyone for sharing their soup, chili and stew recipes. If you have a soup or soup-like dish you want to share, click on the Souper Sunday logo on the sidebar for all the details.

Hope your coming week is a good one!