All of us had to deal with the leftovers from a Thanksgiving roasted turkey, 4th of July barbecue, or lamb after the holidays. Eating the same meal during the next two days is repetitive and no fun. Yet, I see the leftovers as a treasure and an opportunity to create a new dish. I successfully use meat leftovers for pies or soups.

In my family, we love to eat pies and soups all the year round.

The leftovers of a Thanksgiving roasted turkey are in these pies.

This time, I am going to discuss my  country style thick soup with root vegetables, mushrooms and pieces of diced meat from yesterday’s roast. Vegetable soups with mushrooms and pieces of meat are nourishing and delightful especially when the soup is cooked in individual pots with a pastry crust on top. It looks awesome! You don’t have to eat the pastry top, but it creates the visual drama of presentation.

The recipe falls somewhere between the American pot pie and the Russian суп в горшочках (soup in pots).

Soup in a pot for four.

1 stick of butter or olive oil, 2 chopped shallots or onions, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, I turnip, 2 stalks of diced celery, 1 big diced carrot, 1 peeled and diced potato, 1 pound of white button mushrooms, washed , trimmed and diced, ¼ cup of creme fraiche, ¼ cup of white wine, chopped leaves of parsley, fragrant herbs, 4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth, diced cooked meat, puff pastry (one sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed), 1 egg for egg wash.

Set a deep sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil and butter, chopped garlic and onion. Cook until translucent, but not brown. Add the wine and let it reduce completely. Add chopped vegetables, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Dust with a pinch of flour and cook for 3 min stirring herbs.

Sauté mushrooms in a separate pan in olive oil, sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper. Add a tbs of creme fraiche (optional).

Prepare four pots and fill them with sautéed vegetables. Add equal amount of mushrooms, broth, creme fraiche (optional) and diced cooked meat into each pot.

Cut the puff pastry into four circles wider that the pots, wash them with a whisked egg, set pastry circles on the pots and press against the sides to attach them.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 (or more) minutes until golden.

Serve right away.

Pinot Noir is a good match.

It’s a very rich and satisfying meal so you won’t need anything else – except for some more wine.

P.S. All the food featured in this post has been prepared and photographed by me.