Thanksgiving Soup with Turkey, Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries

Happy post-Thanksgiving, mid-Hanukkah, pre-Christmas time! ‘Tis the season for comfort food and cranberries. Yes, cranberries deserve their own special mention. You know how I feel about cranberries.

I wish I could claim I was clever enough to invent this soup on my own, but I was inspired by a similar soup made by a local restaurant. A few weeks ago I tried their soup on a whim, grabbing a to-go container to take home with me. When I opened the container later to make some lunch, I was instantly floored by how much the soup smelled exactly like Thanksgiving dinner. I almost had to open my oven to make sure there wasn’t a turkey roasting in there that I didn’t know about!

Unfortunately, the smell was my favorite part of the soup. My objections to the taste were minor, except for one fatal flaw – it was loaded with cilantro. I am one of those people who can’t stand cilantro because all I taste is soap. So I decided to remake the soup on my own at home.

This Thanksgiving Soup with Turkey, Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries is perfect for using up those Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers. Don’t have any leftovers? Cook up a little turkey breast and use that to make the soup, or even substitute some chicken. The sweet potatoes make it filling while the cranberries add a pleasant sweet surprise. It will make your kitchen smell fantastic and evoke warm, comfy holiday memories. Comfort food at it’s best!

Thanksgiving Soup with Turkey, Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries

Serves 3-4

You’re probably going to want to add a good bit of salt to balance the sweetness from the dried cranberries (most of which have added sugar). I didn’t want to specify an amount, however, because it will vary depending on your cranberries and whether or not you add gravy. Just add a little, taste, and repeat until it tastes good!

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 large celery ribs, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning (thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary)
3/4 teaspoon dried sage
4 to 5 cups turkey broth or stock
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 pound cooked turkey (more or less)
1-2 tablespoons leftover turkey gravy (optional, but highly recommended)
salt, to taste

Directions

In a dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat, saute onion and celery in butter or olive oil until onions are translucent and celery has softened. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add sweet potatoes and stir in spices. Add turkey broth or stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook 10 minutes. Add dried cranberries and continue to simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, about 10 more minutes. (If a fork easily slides through the potatoes, they’re done.) Add cooked turkey. Stir in gravy, if using, and season to taste.