Turkey Soup

Ingredients:

Turkey carcass

4 quarts cold water

8 pepper corns

1 Bay leaf

6 sprigs fresh parsley

2 cups vegetable scrapes (normally used for making stocks which I keep in the freezer.)

Handful of fresh herbs (tarragon and sage)

2 stalks celery, diced

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

1 large onion, diced

 ½ small celery root, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 cup chopped canned tomatoes (I accidentally used thawed gazpacho but it worked!)

Bouquet Garni

¼ cup dry white or rosé wine

Add ons

1 cup cooked rice, pasta or noodles

½ cup cranberry beans, cooked

1 cup fresh spinach leaves

½ cup sweet peas

½ cup cooked Tuscan Kale, finely chopped

Cooking directions:

1.       Make turkey broth first by putting first seven ingredients (up to celery) in a large stock pot and simmer for 2 to 3 hours until liquid is reduced by half.

2.       Take off the stove and allow broth to cool.

3.       Strain stock by putting a colander in the sink with a large bowl underneath.  Slowly pour the mixture into the colander.  Remove the bowl of stock. You may want to save half of the turkey broth for another use.  Put remaining stock back into the pot. 

4.       Pick through the mixture in the colander and pull out pieces of turkey meat being careful to throw out small bones. Set aside in the refrigerator. Throw out everything else.

5.       Put celery, carrots, onions, celery root and chopped tomato into the pot with the stock.  Add Bouquet Garni and cook for one hour.

6.       Add back in diced pieces of turkey and allow to marry, off the heat, for an hour.  Refrigerate.

7.       When you reheat, add a starch such as cooked rice, pasta (small styled) or egg noodles.

8.       Then, add whatever interesting vegetables you have in the refrigerator.  I start with one and keep adding based on my fancy.  If I add Tuscan kale, I pretend like it is a turkey minestrone and top the soup with grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves: 8-10

Wine recommendation:  Beaujolais Village, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gruner Veltliner.