Day after Thanksgiving Soup
Turkey day is, without question, one of my favorite days to celebrate.
Food.
Family.
Friends.
Wine.
The warm oven, the smells, the tastes, the laughter. I love the gathering, and I love the rewards for a weeks’ worth of cooking, shopping, and prepping!
I love the Food Network specials, the warm house, the kids’ excitement.
This year, I did what I always do, and brined my bird. What I did this year that I haven’t done in years past is buying straight from a farm! He was “processed” Tuesday morning, and once he had been plucked, I brought him home, and brined him using Anne Burrell’s recipe.
We had the turkey with all the fixings- the dressing, the homemade cranberry sauce, the potatoes, the squash and sweet potatoes. My Grandmother also brought a ham, and my stepdad’s family brought lots of veggies with dip, desserts, more wine, cheese, and crackers. It was a delicious holiday, for sure!
But what do you do with all those leftovers? Well, one option is the ol’ standby (one of my favorites), the 11pm snack…the turkey sandwich! But what my mom used to do, and my grandmother before her, is boil the bones to make turkey soup!
Start by taking all the meat off the bones, and use your muscles to crush the bones a bit, so they fit easier into your big pot. If you cannot or do not want to use your bones immediately, you can absolutely pick the bones clean, and freeze the skin and bones in a freezer bag if you’d like for later use; you can also freeze the leftover meat for later use, as well as freeze your leftovers in homemade dinners for heating up on a night where you don’t have a lot of time!
Put all the bones (with the skin) into a large stock pot and cover with cold water, about an inch higher than the bones. Add a chopped onion, some chopped carrots, parsley, thyme, a bay leaf, celery, peppercorns, and garlic cloves. Remember, this is a PERFECT USE for the leftover celery and carrot sticks that weren’t eaten on the veggie platter!
Bring to a boil, and immediately reduce the heat to a simmer or just below a simmer. Skim off any foam. Cook about 4 hours, or till the stock has reduced and is rich and flavorful. Remember, until you salt and pepper it yourself, it won’t taste salty like the kind you buy at the store. You’re looking for a rich chicken flavor here, not a salty one.
Strain the stock through a mesh strainer.
Use it any way you like. My favorite way is to make a soup with some brown rice, chunks of turkey, carrots, onions, celery, and corn!
I hope you all had a fantastic day with your family, and enjoyed the most important part of the day; spending time with your loved ones.
Related posts:
- Yo' Chicken Salad
- My Own Turkey Day Menu
- Flu Food: Chicken Soup
- Faux-tato Leek Soup
- Delicata Pear Soup
MikeMoffit
Hi Nedah!!! Sounds great. I’ve been missing the LeanKitchen and thankful for all the work you have put into this. I frequently go into your archives, thanks for sharing!!