Easy soup perfect the day after Thanksgiving — or any day

Disposing of Thanksgiving leftovers has never been a problem in my turkey-loving family.

However, if you find yourself with an abundance of leftover bird, Day-After Thanksgiving Soup is the perfect way to use the extras taking up space in your fridge.

It’s like Thanksgiving dinner in a bowl — minus the cranberries and the pumpkin pie. Best of all, it is really simple to make, which is a welcome relief after the labors of the holiday.

This recipe calls for frozen precut butternut squash, kale leaves and packaged broth. All you have to do is a bit of dicing and it’s ready in no time.

And there are plenty of ways to make it your own. You could substitute cooked ground turkey or you can even make it vegetarian by using chopped mushrooms instead of the poultry. No kale? No worries. Spinach would be a great substitute. Sweet potatoes could easily replace the squash.

The only caution is to be mindful of the salt. Store-bought broths can vary greatly in terms of the sodium, and the stuffing mix can be pretty salty. It is best to use a low-sodium broth and add the salt, as needed.

Whatever variation you go with, Day-After Thanksgiving Soup is so tasty you don’t have to wait for the holiday. You might want to make it any day of the year.

• M. Eileen Brown is the Daily Herald’s vice president of sales and marketing and an incurable soup-a-holic. She specializes in vegetarian soups and blogs at soupalooza.com.

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Day-After Thanksgiving Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium carrots, diced

3 ribs celery, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cups leftover turkey, cut into bite-sized pieces

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or herbes de Provence

½ cup dry white wine (or water)

One (12-ounce) bag frozen chopped butternut squash

8 cups low-sodium turkey broth

5-6 large kale leaves, thick ribs removed, leaves finely chopped

Salt and pepper

Homemade or store-bought seasoned stuffing croutons

In a large soup pot, heat the oil and add the carrots, celery and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown, about 7-8 minutes. Add the thyme and poultry seasoning or herbs de Provence.

Add the wine (or water) and stir, scraping up any brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the squash and 8 cups of broth, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to simmer and cook, uncovered, until the squash is tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the kale and the turkey and cook another 5 minutes. Taste the broth, and season with salt and pepper if desired. Discard the thyme stems.

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

Serves six.