Curried Kitchen Sink Soup is a fantastic and easy soup that can be adjusted to whatever you have on hand–including Thanksgiving leftovers!
I am still full of the good drugs for these back spasms, so once again forgive anything that does not make sense and please just email or comment and let me know! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving–mine is going wonderfully although I feel kind of lame just sitting on my butt (resting my agonized back) while other people do the work. But hey Alex is making the The Spiced Life Family Sweet Rolls, so that is huge.
I am super excited because for the first time ever I have a great Thanksgiving leftovers recipe, and I seem to be sharing it at the appropriate moment in time.
Shocking.
I actually made this Curried Kitchen Sink Soup on a lazy day a few weeks ago, just using up what I had around. Ergo the “Kitchen Sink” moniker. But that makes it the perfect recipe for adjusting to taste and availability and for using up Turkey Day leftovers. Other veggies I could see in this soup? Peas or corn, cauliflower, zucchini, kale, spinach, lima beans, carrots, etc. If I were using mashed potatoes in place of the mashed butternut squash, I might use more vegetables in place of the potato pieces. Just to make it healthier. But I certainly would not worry about it if I couldn’t.
Everyone loved this Curried Kitchen Sink Soup. It is savory, healthy, warming and delicious.
Don’t be put off by list of ingredients—remember that this is a kitchen sink soup, so I was using up what I had around. Everything is flexible, making this a great vehicle for leftovers.
- 2 qts water
- 1 cup yellow split peas
- 2/3 cups split red lentils
- 3 T ghee
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 3 medium-large onions, chopped
- 2 T minced garlic
- 2 T minced ginger
- 2 sweet bell peppers, diced
- 1 summer squash, diced
- 2 heaping T curry powder
- 2 lbs boiling potatoes, diced
- 1 cup water
- 1 small head cauliflower, broken into bite-sized florets
- 2/3 cup mashed roasted butter squash
- 1 t garam masala
- juice of half lemon
- 2 T honey, plus more to taste
- salt to taste
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
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Bring the 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the split peas and let cook for 10 minutes. Then add the split red lentils.
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Let the legumes cook until tender. Add a teaspoon of salt and let cook another 5 minutes, then set aside.
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If you are not using leftover roasted poultry, heat the ghee in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 8 minutes total.
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Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Add the onions to the pot with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelizing.
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While the onions are caramelizing, chop the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add to a bowl and set aside.
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Add the garlic and ginger to the onions and stir. Splash with a little water if the onions are sticking or scorching. Let cook for 5 minutes.
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Add the sweet bell peppers and summer squash with a pinch of salt. Stir and let cook for 3 minutes.
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Add the curry powder and stir. Add the potatoes with a pinch of salt and stir to coat with the curry powder. Let cook without stirring for 4 minutes.
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Add the cauliflower, chicken and water to the pot--be sure to include any accumulated juices from the chicken. If you are using pre roasted chicken or turkey, add chicken or turkey stock instead of water. Bring to a boil.
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Add the cooked legumes with their cooking water.
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Stir in the mashed butternut squash. Bring back to a boil.
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Reduce heat and cover to simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes to allow chicken to cook through and flavors to melt.
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When the chicken is cooked through, add the garam masala, lemon juice and honey. Taste for more of any of those. When the flavors are balanced to your taste, add the chopped cilantro and serve.
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Serve with additional lemon wedges and hot chile pepper flakes for anyone who wants them.
You should definitely think outside the box with this soup, especially if you are trying to utilize leftovers. Try mashed potatoes instead of mashed butternut squash--and be prepared to add a tad more honey. Use leftover roasted chicken or turkey and add chicken or turkey stock instead of water. You get the idea!
Looking for a collage to pin?
Dear Laura,
I am an 82 year old eccentric who loves to cook and feed his middle-aged son. I am living in OZ and the current Temp. is 105F. Have just printed your Curried Kitchen Sink Soup recipe. Will let you know how it goes in the next week or so. Great to get your ideas.
Regards, Tony.
Great to hear from you! Let me know how it goes!