Turkey Burger Soup.

Most nights when I cook, we each have maybe one plate or one bowl full of dinner. (Okay, B and D eat one; I eat one plus one or two extra servings of bread, noodles, rice, etc. I like carbs.) However, when I make this soup (always a little different, and you'll see why), it pretty much evaporates. (Be aware, this is not a particularly low fat recipe, but you can substitute here and there to make it healthier.)

Here is the how to:

You will need: ground turkey, chicken/beef/veggie broth, potatoes, flour, milk, cheese (whatever kind you like on a cheeseburger), onions (or onion powder), ricotta cheese, brown mustard, pepper, garlic (or garlic powder), parsley, rosemary, and Worcestershire sauce.

First, you're going to need to cut some potatoes. I like them to be the size of home fries, and I leave the skins on. (If you have leftover cooked potatoes, you can use those. This recipe was actually borne out of leftover home fries.)



Next, throw said cut potatoes into a pot of boiling broth that JUST COVERS the potatoes and cook them until they’re almost soft. (If you’re using leftovers, put them in hot water and simmer until they’re hot all the way through…maybe eight minutes? Bigger pieces stay cold in the middle for a while if they’ve been in the fridge.)



While your potatoes are taking their bath, brown some ground turkey in a frying pan. (I was in a butter mood, so tonight I used about a tablespoon of butter instead of spray or oil.) Once it’s browned, put the meaty goodness into the potato and broth. (Add a little water/broth if the meat isn’t in the water.)

(Mmm…delicious melty butter.)

Don’t do set aside your frying pan; don’t even turn off the heat. Instead, put in your onions (strips, cubes, or whatever iteration suits your fancy)…yes, directly into whatever meat fat is still in there (as I said: not low in fat). Sometimes, I also add celery. Cook whatever veggies you’re using until they’re soft, and then, throw those in the potato and broth, and meat pan.

Now, you’re definitely going to need a little butter or margarine. Melt about a tablespoon in the pan (yes, you’re still using your frying pan here). Once it’s melted, throw in some flour and mix it until there are no lumps, then slowly add in about ¾ of a cup of milk (if you’ve never done this, I suggest heating the milk before you add it).
Keep stirring and stirring. It should smooth out and thicken up (be careful not to burn it…) It should end up looking like this consistency. (There are also veggies in there in this picture. I don’t recommend leaving them in for this step. Whoops!)



Once the butter, flour, milk is nice and thick, slowly stir it into the rest of your soup. Stir in the ricotta cheese, several slices or handfuls of whatever other cheese you’ve chosen (the pictures are of provolone. I also really like cheddar and mozzarella. I do not care for Swiss, I think the flavor gets lost), and keep stirring. This mixture should NEVER boil. It should just simmer. (For the cheese to mix in properly, you’ll want to let it simmer for at least two or three minutes.) While you’re making sure that the cheese is mixing in, you want to add in all those spices, herbs, etc. For the most part, I let my taste in burger lead the spices. For a spicier concoction B likes to add hot sauce, I like it more on the mild side.

(Here is tonight’s pan of soup simmering away.)



Ultimately, the soup is a little beige looking, but the taste is hearty. It’s great for a cold day with snow, slush, rain.