Read to me!
✨ Leftover Turkey Rice Soup ✨
👉 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oil or butter
👉 2 medium carrots, diced
👉 1 cup diced celery, broccoli stalks, cauliflower, cabbage (whatever leftover veggies you have!)
👉 1 small onion, diced
👉 2 cloves garlic, minced
👉 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) poultry seasoning (or whatever dried herbs & spices you like much as rosemary, sage, basil, oregano, marjoram, nutmeg, pepper)
👉 4-8 cups (1-2 L) of chicken or vegetable stock
👉 2-3 cups (~200 grams) leftover cooked turkey
👉 1/3 cup (80 mL) dry rice
1️⃣ Put a large pot on the stove. Add 1 Tbsp oil or butter. Heat on medium heat.
2️⃣ Add all the veggies to the pot (carrots, leftover veggies, diced onion & minced garlic). Stir over medium heat until they get a bit soft.
3️⃣ Add the rest of the ingredients: 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) poultry seasoning, 4-8 cups (1-2 L) of stock, 2-3 cups (~200 grams) leftover cooked turkey, and 1/3 cup (80 mL) dry rice.
4️⃣ Turn up the heat to bring to a boil.
5️⃣ Once it’s boiling, turn down the heat to low. Optional to add some fresh herbs here (we threw in some sprigs of thyme 🙂 ). Cover the pot with the lid and let simmer for 30 min.
TBI Tips:
- You can skip the chopping in this recipe by using pre-chopped frozen vegetables. Some grocery stores also carry pre-chopped frozen onion!
- Garlic paste is also a convenient option so that you don’t have to peel and chop garlic cloves. Alternatively, if garlic doesn’t work for you, garlic infused oil might be a solution.
This morning it was -38 C with the windchill 🥶 (it’s roughly the same in Fahrenheit too…)
As if getting outside wasn’t hard enough with a concussion or TBI… Add on factors such as the weather, and it’s easy to stay home and not have much motivation.
But on a cold day SOUP can be like a warm hug 🤗
Soup isn’t pretentious.
It’s simply throwing a bunch of ingredients you have around the home in a pot with some liquid and VOILA! You got yourself a nourishing meal.
I know post TBI it might be hard for you to improvise recipes on your own.
I know a lot of my clients would prefer to have recipes that detail the exact steps.
It definitely is great to have a task broken down into very clear detailed steps.
And also, I think there is a lot to be gained in recovery when we exercise our improvisational skills in the kitchen!
And soup can be one of those meals that helps you play with cooking.
🍲 Because breaking it down, soup is essentially these 4 steps: 🍲
1️⃣ Fry some vegetables in a pot over medium heat until they get a bit soft. This can be fresh or frozen carrots, onions, garlic, celery, broccoli stocks, cauliflower, bell peppers, potatoes… Anything except maybe leafy greens at this point.
2️⃣ Add some liquid. This can be broth, canned tomatoes, or water with some bouillon cubes/powder added to it. Bring it to a boil.
3️⃣ Add other ingredients such as cooked meat, lentils, canned beans, rice, corn, small pasta shapes plus herbs & spices. Leafy greens like spinach or kale can be added at this time too.
4️⃣ Turn down the heat and simmer covered for ~30 minutes.
👉 Once it’s done you can adjust the seasonings.
👉 You can purée the soup with a blender.
👉 You can add some fresh herbs on top. However you’d like to jazz it up!
Yes, there are other soups that may have other steps. And maybe some recipes change around the order of the steps I offered above.
But the take away is this… You CAN do this without a recipe book.
It may take some practice…
It may take some help from family and friends…
You’ll have to evaluate your own safety in the kitchen…
But good nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to be pretentious…
It can be soup 🥰
Stay warm my friends!