Friday Turkey-Vegetable Soup 101 |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 300 Minutes |
Ready In: 300 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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The most common way of making leftover turkey soup is to toss the carcass and vegetables into a pot and simmer with water until the broth is flavorful. That's a good beginning, but the flavor is also cooked out of the turkey meat and vegetables (and you have to look out for the little pieces of bone in your soup!!) It's a better idea to treat this broth as the first step in the soup-making process. Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil |
1 medium onion, chopped |
1 medium carrot, chopped |
1 medium celery & leaves, chopped |
1 turkey carcass, chopped into large pieces (about 3-inches square) |
4 parsley sprigs |
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme |
1 bay leaf |
1 teaspoon salt |
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns |
2 tablespoons unsalted butter |
1 large onion, chopped |
2 medium carrots, chopped |
2 medium celery ribs, with leaves chopped |
1 medium turnip, peeled and chopped |
2 garlic cloves, monced |
2 quarts soup, base |
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped |
4 cups cooked turkey, bite-sized pieces (about 1 lb) |
salt & freshly ground black pepper |
Directions:
1. FOR THE SOUP BASE:.
2. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey carcass. Pour in enough cold water (about 3 quarts) to cover the carcass by at least 1 inch. Make sure to use cold water to make your broth; it will draw more flavor from the ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
3. Add the parsley, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Don't be aftaid to add enough salt. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, add more water as needed to keep the carcass covered, until the broth is well-flavored, at least 2 and up to 4 hours.
4. Place a cheesecloth or kitchen towel lined colander over a large bowl or pot. Pour the soup base through the colander and discard the solids. Let the base stand for 5 minutes, then skim any clear fat from the surface. Add enough water to make 2 quarts soup base; or, return to the pot and boil over high heat until reduced to 2 quarts. (The soup base can be frozen for up to 3 months. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container).
5. FOR THE SOUP:.
6. In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, turnip and garlic; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden, about 6 minutes. Add the soup base and parsley and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. To thicken and enhance the color and flavor of the soup, stir cold gravy into the soup to taste during the last 10 minutes of simmering. During the last 5 minutes, stir in the turkey. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Serve hot. (the soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Cool completely and store in airtight containers).
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