A hearty soup with delicious layers of flavor, this Turkey White Bean Soup is chock full of savory vegetables, tender white beans, and smoked sausage. Perfect for leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, or even a rotisserie chicken.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword leftover turkey, turkey soup, turkey white bean soup
7ouncessmoked sausage, sliced into half moons (turkey, pork or beef, your choice)
1small white or yellow onions, chopped
1medium fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
3garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1tablespoontomato paste
1teaspoonsmoked paprika
15ouncescanned great northern beans, rinsed and drained, divided
1quartlow-sodium chicken broth
1teaspoondried oregano or marjoram
3cupscooked turkey, shredded or chopped
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1tablespoonminced fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 4 to 5 qt Dutch oven over medium until shimmering.
Add the smoked sausage and cook until the edges are golden. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Add the onions and fennel and saute until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic.
Scoot the vegetables to one side and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the cleared space.
Spoon the tomato paste into the oil and sprinkle the smoked paprika and a big pinch of salt over the top. Stir the tomato paste to let caramelize a bit while the spices bloom, then stir into the vegetable mixture.
Measure out 1 cup of the beans and set aside; add the rest to the pot, along with about half of the broth.
Use an immersion blender to blend the soup smooth. Add the remaining beans and broth, plus the oregano/marjoram.
Increase heat to bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.
Stir in the cooked turkey, along with the reserved smoked sausage.
Taste, and adjust the seasonings to your preference with salt and pepper.
Just prior to serving, sprinkle the parsley over the top of the soup.
Notes
This soup can also be made with rotisserie chicken, for weeknight ease.