Turkey Soup
By Diana Earnshaw
When you have used all the meat on the turkey, you will be left with the carcass but this can provide even more nutrition. If you don’t want to boil the bones immediately, bash them up and freeze them for another time. Also freeze leftover meat scraps/stuffing/vegetables/chestnuts/gravy and even cranberry sauce! Here is the basic stock recipe.
Related article: Talking Turkey
Try this recipe: Turkey Brining for Roasting
Ingredients
- Turkey bones
- Enough water to cover but at least 2 litres
- 2 teaspoons Celtic sea or Himalayan crystal salt 6 peppercorns & herbs as wanted
- Vegetable trimmings if you have them (stick celery or celery leaves, broccoli/cauli stem) PLUS 2 onions, unpeeled but halved
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons duck, goose fat, or lard/dripping
Method
Put the carcass bones into a stockpot along with any leftover skin and the vegetables. Add everything else. Bring to the boil over a medium heat. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down. Put the lid on and simmer very gently for at least six hours. (Overnight in a slow-cooker is ideal.) Strain the stock and discard bones and vegetables. Top up to 2 litres.
To make the soup, just add in enough thawed leftovers to make, when pureed, a thick soup. Add leftover turkey scraps and bring to the boil for a few minutes. If you are starting from scratch, soften a couple of sticks of celery, a couple of large carrots and a chopped onion in some butter or other fat. Add the stock and either 200g peeled and chopped medium potato or 200g chestnuts, some herbs and if you like – a small glug of port. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree. I think the soup deserves a spoonful of cranberry sauce to serve. SO much nutrition in this soup!
There is nothing like the taste of homemade soup and the nutritional benefits are enormous. Bone broth will even provide a source of glucosamine, often taken in supplement form by those with bone/joint problems. If joints/skin/sinews are used with the chicken carcass, there is also an easily assimilated form of protein (collagen).