By G. Daniela Galarza

The Washington Post

There are only two things I like about Thanksgiving in America: the food and the people eating that food with me. Recently, when I wanted a taste of those comforting flavors — but had no desire to cook a multicourse meal — I came up with this soup recipe, redolent of the sage-scented turkey, sweet squash, stewed vegetables and buttery stuffing that frequently dress a Thanksgiving table.

The smells and textures of those dishes on the same plate, in the same bite, are so deeply embedded in my head that the moment I notice a golden leaf with crimson edges fall at my feet, my brain fast-forwards to the image of the previous year’s Thanksgiving table. This year, that moment happened during the second week of September. That was when I developed this recipe for a soup that pulls in the harvest holiday’s best.

Last year, I celebrated Thanksgiving in Tucson with my family. There was roasted squash, stewed leafy greens, burnished turkey, all of the potatoes and a mountain of herb-flecked stuffing. That memory inspired this soup, which starts with the foundational combination of onions, carrots and celery. Sprigs of herbs go in along with extra-lean ground turkey. (Using fattier meat will turn the soup greasy if it’s not drained off.) Once the meat is broken up into bits and cooked through, an optional splash of wine goes in, followed by diced butternut squash and lots of broth. Chopped kale melts into the bubbling broth near the end.

I opted to use frozen diced butternut squash here, because it’s so much easier to deal with, but you could substitute fresh if you’d like. Because the turkey is ground, it absorbs flavors quickly as it cooks and releases those flavors into the broth as it simmers. This also means this soup doesn’t have a long cooking time — a boon for a weeknight.

The crowning finish, an idea I’m especially proud of, is a handful of stuffing croutons, set atop each bowl just before it’s served. The dried, seasoned bread cubes soften slowly into the hot soup. As they do, they turn into stuffing, while the ones on top remain crunchy. You could make your own seasoned croutons, but I tried several packaged stuffing mixes and found that using store-bought was both quicker and better.

This tastes like my ideal Thanksgiving meal, but you should feel free to tweak it to create your own Thanksgiving-in-a-bowl. You could skip the squash and add diced sweet potatoes or let halved baby potatoes simmer into creamy, mashed-potato-like lumps. You could use chopped collards or green beans if that feels more right to you than kale. And if you only really celebrate Thanksgiving for the sides, skip the ground turkey, add browned, sliced mushrooms — or just a rich mushroom-heavy broth — and have sidesgiving in a bowl.

The only thing missing is the warm feeling of camaraderie, but we’ll get to have that in a few short weeks. And keep this recipe handy. I’ve included instructions for how to make it with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and more.

This Thanksgiving-in-a-bowl recipe can tide you over until the actual feast, or tuck it away for leftovers. (Scott Suchman / For The Washington Post)

Thanksgiving Soup

This soup with turkey, kale, butternut squash and stuffing croutons on top is for when you want the flavors of a Thanksgiving meal in less than an hour. Ground turkey, seasoned in the pot, ensures the soup cooks quickly. Frozen, diced butternut squash saves time, too. For ease, use store-bought stuffing croutons. If you’d like to make your own, see Notes. It is important to seek out lean ground turkey. If you use fattier ground meat, you will need to drain the fat off after Step 1. Any fat that isn’t drained or skimmed off will rise to the top of the pot, forming an unappetizing grease slick. Finally, feel free to tweak this recipe so that it tastes like your ideal Thanksgiving-in-a-bowl. See Substitutions for ideas on how to do that. To make this using leftover cooked turkey, see Variations.

Makes 6 to 8 servings (15 cups)

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium carrots (9 ounces total), diced

3 ribs celery, diced

1 medium yellow onion (10 ounces), scrubbed and diced

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ground turkey, at least 93 percent lean

3 sprigs fresh thyme or sage

1 teaspoon salt-free poultry seasoning or herbes de Provence

1/2 cup dry white wine, such as chenin blanc or riesling (optional)

1 (12-ounce) bag frozen chopped butternut squash (see Substitutions)

10 cups low-sodium broth (turkey, chicken, vegetable or mushroom), plus more as needed

6 large kale leaves, any type, thick ribs removed, leaves finely chopped

2 cups homemade or store-bought seasoned stuffing croutons, or prepared stuffing mix (see Notes)

DIRECTIONS

1: In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the carrots, celery and onion along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the turkey, thyme or sage, poultry seasoning or herbs de Provence, and another pinch each of salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon, break the turkey up into little bits. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. (If your turkey was especially fatty, drain off any excess grease before proceeding.)

2: Add the wine, if using, or 1/2 cup of broth and stir, scraping up any brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the squash and 10 cups of broth, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook, uncovered, until the squash is tender and the flavors have melded, about 15 minutes. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper if desired.

3: Add the kale and cook until fully wilted and a deeper green, about 5 minutes. Taste the broth, and season with more salt and pepper if desired. Discard the thyme or sage stems.

4: Divide the soup among bowls, top with some of the stuffing croutons and serve hot.

Substitutions: Olive oil can be replaced with butter or a neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola. Instead of onions, try leeks or shallots. No celery? Skip it, or use fennel. Frozen diced butternut squash could be subbed out for chopped frozen green beans or peas. You could also use fresh diced butternut squash, but it will take longer to cook. If you dont have ground turkey, use ground chicken or chopped mushrooms. If you prefer not to use wine, simply add more broth.

Variations: To make this with leftover roasted turkey, replace the ground turkey with 3 cups pulled or bite-size pieces of cooked turkey meat, and add it along with the kale.

Notes: To make your own stuffing croutons: In a large (12-inch) skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering. Add 2 cups cubed bread, fresh or stale, crusts removed if desired. Season with a few shakes of fine salt, ground pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and salt-free poultry seasoning, dried thyme or ground sage. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the croutons are evenly brown and fragrant.

Storage note: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Recipe from G. Daniela Galarza.