Turkey Broth Recipe
Thanksgiving is the beginning of a wonderful time of year that I refer to as the season of family. My husband and I have an ongoing joke that never in the history of Greeks or Italians have they run out of food for any event, and we refuse to be the first. As a result, our house is always open to friends or family with nowhere to go for the holiday, and there are always leftovers.
No part left behind: What to do after the big day
Don’t throw that turkey carcass away! Once the turkey is carved up, put the carcass in a Ziplock freezer bag and freeze it. Take a well-deserved rest after the big family gathering. Later, use those bones to create a delicious and nutritious turkey broth which can then be used in any number of recipes. It is super easy, and the bone broth / soup can be frozen and enjoyed at a later date.
Turkey Bone Broth Ingredients
- Turkey carcass
- 1 bayleaf
- Black pepper – to taste
- Salt – to taste
- 2 Stalks Celery
- 1 Large Carrot
- 1 Onion
- 2-3 cloves Garlic
Instructions
Place all of your ingredients in a large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook it low and slow. The longer it cooks the more flavor it will have.
Once the turkey broth is finished cooking, remove and dispose of all of the cooked ingredients, saving the broth. You can strain it to remove smaller bits if you like.
Note: If needed, add in additional water. For extra flavor you can also add chicken broth or chicken bouillon (just be aware that most bouillon is high in sodium and may contain MSG).
Turkey Soup Recipe
Turkey Soup Ingredients
- Turkey broth
- Leftover turkey: off the bone, with no fat, shredded or chopped (kept frozen if not used within a couple days of Turkey Day).
- Carrots: chopped
- Celery: chopped
- Onion: chopped and sautéed
- Salt: to taste
- Pepper: to taste
- Potatoes: chopped
- Any other vegetable that you would like
Boil all of the ingredients until the potatoes and root vegetables are cooked al dente (tender yet still firm). Take into account that the ingredients will continue to cook as the soup cools.
Notes
- Cook your choice of noodle in a separate pot. Noodles do not freeze well and become mushy if left too long in soup.
- Blending the soup with the potatoes will give it a creamy texture without adding cream.
- Leftovers freeze well but be sure to freeze it within 24 hours after cooking.
- No leftover turkey? No problem. Grab an organic low sodium rotisserie chicken from the store. Remove the skin and shred the chicken before putting it in the pot.
