Leftover Turkey and Sweet Potato Soup Recipe with Black Beans and Lime

(I'll be driving to my sister's house in a few hours, so I'm posting this before I leave and then I'll be taking a few days off from blogging. Happy Thanksgiving to all my wonderful readers and blogging friends. When I think of all the things I have to be thankful for, again this year I realize how much I am Thankful For My Blog. Edit Thanksgiving Day: Welcome to anyone visiting after Thanksgiving from the Provo Daily Herald, where reporter Natalie Hollingshead featured a couple of my recipes in the article Give Thanks for Leftovers.)

Somehow to me it just doesn't feel like Thanksgiving unless I take the turkey carcass, put it in a big roasting pan with lots of water, onions, carrots, celery, and a bit of Penzeys Turkey Soup Base, and fill up the house with the smell of turkey stock. I'm spending Thanksgiving at my sister's house, having fun with the kids, and I'll definitely be making turkey stock later tomorrow. This recipe is for the soup I made with my pre-Thanksgiving turkey at home, and I'm indulging my new love of sweet potatoes in soup. This recipe is pretty flexible, but don't leave out the touch of fresh lime juice added at the very end. Lime and sweet potatoes, that's what makes this soup something special.

You can make the soup using chicken and even chicken broth from a can, but I highly recommend making turkey stock if you have a carcass left from the big holiday meal. (Edit: In 2008 I wrote a new post about How to Make Turkey Stock, so I removed those instructions here to make the recipe a bit shorter. Click that link if you're making your own turkey stock.)

Leftover Turkey and Sweet Potato Soup with Black Beans and Lime
(Makes 6-8 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

1 cup diced onion (1 small onion)
1 cup diced celery
1 T olive oil
3 cups diced sweet potato, cut in pieces about 1/2 inch (orange sweet potatoes are often called Yams or Sweet Yams in U.S. stores)
2 tsp. dried oregano (I used Mexican oregano, but either kind will work)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground chile powder (New Mexico chile powder preferred)
1/2 tsp. dried sage
5 cups turkey stock (can use chicken stock)
2 cans black beans, plus liquid
2 cups diced leftover turkey
2 T diced Anaheim chiles (if canned often called "green chiles"; use more if desired)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
salt, fresh ground black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in heavy soup pot, add onions and celery and saute about 5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, oregano, cumin, chile powder, sage, and turkey stock, lower heat to a simmer, and cook about 60 minutes, stirring a few times.

Add black beans, rinsing out the can with a small amount of water and adding all bean liquid. Simmer soup 30-45 minutes more.

Add diced turkey and green chiles and simmer about 30 minutes more. Stir in fresh-squeezed lime juice, season with salt and pepper as desired, and cook 5 minutes more. Serve hot, with additional fresh lime to squeeze into soup if desired.

This would be great with sour cream, chopped cilantro, grated cheese, or even crushed corn chips for family members who aren't South Beach Dieters.

South Beach Suggestions:

Sweet potatoes and black beans are both considered to be "good carbs" for the South Beach Diet. This soup paired with a perfect green salad would make a great meal for phase two or three.

More Turkey Options for After Thanksgiving:
Brown Rice Salad with Leftover Turkey, Red Cabbage, and Pecans
Turkey and White Bean Chili with Chocolate
Turkey Barley Soup
Leftover Turkey, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup
Leftover Turkey Soup with Double Mushrooms
Lentil Soup with Smoked Turkey from Seriously Good
Mom's Turkey Soup from Simply Recipes
Turkey Chili from Simply Recipes
Turkey Curry Soup with Brown Rice from Je Mange la Ville
Turkey, Tortellini, and Watercress soup from A Veggie Venture
Turkey-Escarole Soup from The Perfect Pantry

I Write About Turkey Leftovers at Blogher:
Blogher's Top Ten List of What to Make with Leftover Turkey

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes Thanksgiving Recipes