Lemony White Bean Soup with Greens (and Turkey)

Another KindSoup success!  I used arugula and spinach as the greens, because that’s what I had on hand.  For the herbs, I used a combination of a few sprigs each of parsley, basil and mint, and the rest mostly cilantro.  The comments on the original recipe were strongly in favor of cilantro, which I love anyway.  

I added some ground coriander and some extra red pepper flakes.  The lemon juice really gave it a great taste.  The beans, greens and mushrooms make for a hearty, healthy soup! 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (optional, leave out for vegan version)
• Use mushrooms instead of turkey.  Add them toward the end with the beans
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 large onions, diced
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 3 bunches sturdy greens, such as kale, broccoli rabe, mustard greens or collard greens
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, plus more to taste
• 1/3 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 9 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 3 quarts chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
• 6 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups chopped fresh, soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon, chives or a combination
• Fresh lemon juice, to taste

Instructions

• Heat a large pot over medium-high for a minute or so to warm it up. Add the oil and heat until it thins out, about 30 seconds. Add onions and carrots, and sauté until very soft and brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rinse the greens and pull the leaves off the stems. Tear or chop into bite-size pieces and set aside.
• When the onions are golden, add tomato paste, cumin and red-pepper flakes to the pot, and sauté until paste darkens, about 1 minute. Add garlic, ginger and salt and sauté.
• (Use of a turkey is optional) Add turkey, breaking up the meat with your spoon, until turkey is browned in spots, 4 to 7 minutes. 
• Add stock and beans, and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until the soup is thick and flavorful, adding more salt if needed, 15 to 25 minutes. If you like a thicker broth, you can smash some of the beans with the back of the spoon to release their starch. Or leave the beans whole for a brothier soup.
• Add the greens to the pot and simmer until they are very soft. This will take 5 to 10 minutes for most greens, but tough collard greens might take 15 minutes. (Add a little water if the broth gets too reduced.)
• Stir herbs and lemon juice into the pot, taste and add more salt, cumin and lemon until the broth is lively and bright-tasting. Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil and more red-pepper flakes, if desired.