Day After Thanksgiving Turkey Soup

Everyone has gone home.  The dust is settling and there is so much turkey left.  What to do with that carcass?  What to do with those random parts that came with the turkey?  Make soup!
This soup starts with making a homemade stock.  It's so simple and it's so delicious and unlike a box of stock, you know exactly what's in it and can season it with as much or as little salt as you desire.

When prepping my thanksgiving bird, I remove the neck and place it in a ziploc bag to use for the soup.  I only started doing this a year ago and it adds great flavor.  I used to just close my eyes and squeamishly throw that neck and giblets in the trash!  No more!  In the soup it goes!

After you have served your turkey, save some of the carcass.  I get a huge turkey so I never have room for the entire carcass.  I save the drumstick bones and the thigh bones etc.  I do not save the body carcass.  If you have the storage room, then by all means, use it.  Pick as much meat off of the bones as possible.

you'll want to skim the fat after it cools

I use both white and dark meat

 

Ingredients (for both stock and soup)

Carcass (bones) from a turkey - meat picked off
1 turkey neck uncooked from turkey
leftover turkey meat, white or dark or combo, chopped into bite size pcs
2 small onions, diced
6 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped (include the greens they have tremendous flavor)
1 bundle thyme (about 5 stalks)
3 T parsley, chopped (Fresh)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp olive oil
2 C cooked rice or noodle


TO MAKE THE STOCK:

In a large pot add 3 of the diced carrots, 1 of the diced onions, 2 of the chopped celery stalks, turkey neck, bones, thyme bundle.  cover with cold water.  Partially cover the pot and bring to a boil.  As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 3 hours.

Strain broth into a large bowl, leaving behind the bones and veggies etc. Discard those strained items.
I now put my stock into the fridge for a few hours.  Once it's cooled I skim the fat and it's ready to use.  You can freeze it or make a soup right away.  I always wait to season with salt and pepper until I'm using it to adjust for other ingredients.

TO MAKE THE SOUP:

Heat oil in large pot.  Add onions, carrots, celery, and parsley season with salt and pepper. (about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper).  Cook about 4 minutes.  Add stock.  Bring to a boil.  Add turkey. Partially cover and reduce to a simmer.  Cook about 1 hour until vegetables are to your liking.  Taste for salt and pepper. 

TO SERVE:
Do NOT add the rice or noodle directly to the soup pot.  If you have leftovers, the rice or noodle will just absorb all that delicious stock and there will be no soup left.  Instead keep them seperate, combing only in the serving bowl.  Serve with crusty bread!

VARIATIONS:

• Add 1/2 tsp oregano
• Add 1 can drained corn during last half hour
• Add freshly grated parmesan cheese to the serving bowl
• Garnish with some fresh cracked pepper upon serving