Turkey Sweet Potato Soup

This time between Christmas and New Years is a funny time. The holidays aren't quite over yet, but I'm ready to start that resolution about eating better and drinking less! Salads come to mind- but without any lettuce on hand I turn my attention to a veggies.

A sweet potato, a parsnip and a zucchini- toss those with some left over turkey and you've got a nice turkey veggie soup that's slightly different than the norm. Nothing spectacular, just a simple soup that allows the flavors of the veggies to come through.

I was avoiding the carbs, but some nice options in this soup would be the Ditalini pasta (tiny tube-shaped pasta) or rice (wild rice would be super flavorful!) If you have some extra tortillas in the house, that would top this soup well too (cut them into strips, salt and bake them until crispy).

If you can find a few nights to relax at home (a night away from the party), treat your body to a relaxing meal too!

Turkey Sweet Potato Soup

In a slow cooker or pot on the stove, add:

left over turkey, shredded (around 2 cups is what I used)- if you're using fresh turkey, slow cook by itself until nearly complete- then add the rest of the ingredients below.
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of black beans, drained
Chicken broth- enough to cover the ingredients, may need to add more once you add the rest of the veggies below.

In the meantime, sautee in olive oil-until onions begin to soften (like 5 minutes):
1/2 cup diced onions (white or yellow)
1 diced parsnip
1 large sweet potato, diced

add and continue to sautee to soften garlic
2 garlic cloves, mashed and chopped
1 zucchini, diced
1 Tbls lime pepper
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to the pot. Let simmer for at least an hour for the flavors to meld and potatoes are softened- go longer if you have time.