So, you've had turkey sandwiches, turkey salad, turkey popovers, and there is still turkey left? First off, I can feel your pain! This is part of the hazard of cooking a bird as large as a turkey. Even if you're one of the guests who helped take leftovers away, there will still be an almost ungodly amount of the bird left for the next three weeks after the meal. (Same thing seems to happen when I make a whole chicken over here, for some odd reason!) Soup is an easy way to use up leftovers and can be frozen.
That's right, folks! You can escape the turkey until you're ready to have some of it almost a month and a half later, right when you need a reprieve from the Christmas ham's remains! Turkey soup is best when you use the part of the leftovers that most people are quick to throw away, the bones and carcass itself. With your kitchen scissors or a sharp knife (I like a butcher's knife for this.), split the large bones of the legs and cut up the carcass into pieces that will fit comfortably into your pot. Add 1/8th of a teaspoon of salt, 1/8th of a teaspoon of ground pepper, and 1/8th of a teaspoon of garlic powder before filling the pot with enough water to cover the bones.
Heat this to rolling boil. Boil for two to three minutes before lowering the heat to a slow boil. Stir the pot every five to ten minutes as you boil for 30 minutes. At this time, place a colander over a bowl large enough to hold your stock. Remove your stock pot from head and strain the bones and meat from the stock by pouring through your colander. Return the stock to your pot and pick the meat out of the bones in your colander. (If you wish to skim off some of the fat, wrap an ice cube in a few pieces of clean paper towel or cheesecloth and quickly move it around on the surface of your stock. The fat will congeal on your ice cube and you can throw the whole mess away. It's a lot easier then taking a spoon and carefully scooping it out! You may use a few ice cubes and be careful not to burn your fingertips, though.)
Add to your stock the meat you took from the colander and any meat you wish to add from your left overs. Clean and coarsely chop one large carrot, one stalk of celery, and a small onion. Add these along with any left over cooked vegetables that are not in any form of a sauce (We usually have peas and corn at my house.) to your stock pot. Take one large or two medium potatoes, wash, skin, and coarsely dice. Add this to the pot along with any other root vegetables that you may still have whole and waiting to be used. I have found that sweet potatoes added to soup in this fashion is quite pleasant and parsnip (once the woody core is removed) make for a pleasantly earthy undertone to this simple dish.
If there is not sufficient liquid to cover your meat and vegetables, add water to cover (or chicken stock). If you wish to add bay, oregano, sage, or any other spices you prefer do so at this time. I personally like to use a generous dash of Italian seasoning or thyme and parsley. Bring your stock to a rolling boil and then lower the heat to simmering. Stir your soup regularly as it cooks to prevent having any of the heavier additions to it burning to the bottom of your pot.
The minimum cook time that I use is an hour. If you desire, you can cook this all day on the stove. (An adaption of this recipe for use in a slow-cooker will be given at the end.) I find that the longer this soup cooks, the better the flavors meld. Fifteen minutes before serving, add a cup of soup pasta or of broken macaroni. Return the heat to a boil, adding a little water (a cup at most) to replace what liquid was lost with cooking. When the pasta is cooked, serve.
If you are going to be freezing this immediately after cooking, keep in mind that past does not take very well to freezing and reheating. I personally would add my pasta when I reheated my soup, a few tablespoons for each cup of soup. In the freezer, this soup can last for three to six months if it is in a well sealed container. In the refrigerator, it will last for a week. The soup does benefit from being allowed to stand for a day in the refrigerator before serving.
Slow Cooker Method
Prepare your stock as I described at the beginning of the recipe by boiling your broken bones and turkey carcass in your stock pot. Once you have strained your stock and retrieved the meat, place all of this in your slow-cooker. Add your vegetables and remaining ingredients. Place the lid on your slow cooker and set it to low. Cook for 6 to 8 hours. If you desire to use it on the high setting, cook for 2 to 3 hours. 15 minutes before serving, add your pasta and finish cooking with the lid off of your slow cooker. Stir frequently to prevent your pasta from burning to the bottom of your slow cooker.
This soup is wonderful with a thick slice of fresh bread and a generous amount of butter on it. For an interesting twist on your soup, it is possible to take a quarter cup of mashed squash and mix it into your soup prior to serving. This adds the mellow flavor of the squash to the soup and cools it a little so that folks eating won't be at risk for burning their mouths. Either way, enjoy your leftovers and a bit of a bigger holiday budget!
