Turkey Soup

Soups are my thingy...I enjoy making them the most I think.  I put a lot of time and care into each one.  For Chicken/Turkey soup, I don't need a recipe, I've made enough of them to do it all from memory.  I always use the leftover cooked carcass for the broth.  Costco Rotisserie Chickens make good broth!  (I'm guessing because they're brined).  Turkey carcass always makes a good broth brined or not.

This one below was with leftover Christmas bird.  I boiled/simmered the bones for 8 hours in a full dutch oven pot of water.  I also add in an onion (skin and all), a carrot, a celery stick and fresh herbs.  To me, fresh herbs are the key to a good soup.  I use Rosemary, Thyme, Sage & Parsley as a rule.

After about 8 hours (I keep topping up the water as necessary), I strain the broth into another pot, discard the remains and put it in the fridge to cool overnight.  Take the hardened fat off the top the next day.  What is left is a glorious, gelatinous jello goodness which is what I am always trying to achieve.  The broth is now complete.  Time to make the soup.

I never use noodles, pasta or rice in my soup.  I like the broth most so don't want something that is going to soak it up and steal it.  I use potatoes sometimes.  Yellow, red or white ones so I don't have to peel them.  I cut them into bite size pieces.  Baby potatoes are awesome. I've even used leftover mashed potatoes at times. Usually though, I use Quinoa and Bulgar (1/4 cup of each).  Sometimes I use Lentils too. I just buy them in a can, rinse well and add.  Sometimes I might add some bunched up (stalks removed) thinly sliced Kale too, but not very much, just a handful or two.  I've used turnips, parsnips, red & green pepper, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash (though it tends to dissolve) - really anything that you have on hand veggie wise works.  I always add these staples to mine though:

• A large chopped onion (Sweet, Red or Spanish)
• 2 or 3 diced carrots
• 2 or 3 sliced stalk of celery
• More fresh herbs as above or even tarragon at times
• Leftover turkey sliced into bite size pieces
• Salt (Kosher) & Pepper (Fresh Cracked) to taste
• Cayenne Pepper to taste

A Masterpiece is born!

I recently learned a new, easy way to do the broth from watching Clinton Kelly on "The Chew".  You start out the same way but instead of on the stove, you throw everything into the crock pot over night on low for 12 hours or so.  I tried this with two rotisserie chicken carcasses and it turned out really well.  I only made the broth in there and then strained it into a dutch oven to make the soup.