Leftover Turkey Recipe (Turkey Stock for soup!)

Thanksgiving is over and three days later you are probably down to the last of your leftovers. Your turkey might look something like this:

Don't throw that carcus away, use it to make turkey stock for some tasty homemade Turkey Noodle Soup.

In the past, when I have made soup, I have always opted for the store bought stock. Lately though, whether it is a chicken carcus or turkey carcus, I have been making my own. It's so easy to do and saves money. Plus the flavor is so much better then the store bought stock.

To start off with, remove any little edible pieces of meat from the turkey. You will use this in your soup.

To make the stock, start out with a turkey carcus (or chicken), some veggies, and a few bay leaves. When cutting up veggies for T-day I saved all the onion tops, celery leaves, and leftover carrots. If you don't have leftover veggies, use some that you have in the refridgerator. The veggies add some sweetness to the stock and can offset the salt from the turkey.

In a very large stock pot, place the turkey carcus, veggies, bay leaves and cover with as much water you can put in the pot without overfilling.

Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let it sit for hours! Yes, I know, hours! It sounds like a long time, but to get maximum flavor out of your stock you need to have the bones cook for a long time. The bones are what give the stock flavor.

We started the stock about 3pm and let it go until 11pm. I say "we" because my brother-in-law Joe was helped me make it. I started it, but really he watched over it and finished it for me. SO nice! While the stock is simmering, take a spoon and remove any foam or fat that rises to the top. Just place it in a bowl so you can throw it all out later. The foam and fat will make the stock cloudy if not removed regularly.

In addition, you will need to add water as you simmer the stock. The water will evaporate and it is very imporant to let that stock simmer for hours to get all that extra little flavor. Just add water as needed.

After a few hours, if you are ready to call it a night, taste the stock. If the stock tastes great, then you are done! If it tastes watery you need to go into rapid boil mode. No more adding water to the stock. Just turn the heat up to high and boil that water down! It will reduce the amount of stock and concetrate the salt.

Next we will need to cool the stock. To do this, place a strainer into the dish you would like to store it in. Pour the stock through the strainer. The strainer will catch all the bones and veggies. Remove the strainer and place the stock into the refiridgerator.

When the stock is completely cooled, you will see it has seperated. The top layer of the stock will be a lighter color then the bottom. That layer is fat that has risen to the top. Take a spoon and scrape most of it. There is nothing worse then a greasy stock :(

Now you are ready to make soup! Here's the recipe I use:

Turkey Noodle Soup
Serves 6 people with 2 cups of soup each.

2 cups of turkey pieces
2 quarts turkey stock
1 cup celery, sliced into 1/4 inch chunks
1 cup carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch chunks
1 bay leaf
2 cups egg noodles, wide variety
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1. Heat turkey stock. Simmer stock in an uncovered stock pot or similar pan on stovetop before adding other ingredients.
2. When the stock is simmering, add celery, carrots, and bay leaf.
3. Cook until carrots are slightly tender. They usually take the longest.
s, Add noodles and cook until they are fully cooked (8 to 10 minutes)
4. Add turkey meat and then parsley. Allow to cook for an additional 4 minutes or until meat is heated and serve hot.

Serve it up on a cold winter day with some crusty bread to warm the hearts of your family :)

~Beth