Turkey Soup from leftover turkey carcass

By gpawilson

Ingredients

• 1 leftover whole roasted turkey carcass, with bones and skin but most meat removed
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
• 2 medium stalks celery, rinsed and chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Water, to cover
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 1 cup diced potatoes
• 1 large turnip (or parsnip), cut into cubes
• 2 cups sweet peas
• 2 cups baby carrots
• 1 1/2 cups cut green beans (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper
• 1 cup celery
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup alphabets, acini di pepe, orzo or other small pasta
• Leftover turkey meat, diced
• 1/4 cup chiffonade fresh basil
• 1/4 cup thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup chiffonade sage leaves
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Loaf of crusty bread

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from denverpost.com

Preparation

Step 1

Place the turkey carcass in a large stockpot. Add onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover the turkey with 6 quarts of water. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 2-3 hours.
Remove stockpot from heat. Line a large colander with cheesecloth and transfer the stock to another pot. This will guarantee removal of small bones that separate from the carcass during the simmering process. (You could also use a large slotted spoon, but that doesn’t assure removal of little bone bits.) Return strained broth to large stockpot, and bring contents to boiling.
Add the remaining vegetables and garlic. Simmer low for 30 minutes. Add pasta and turkey and cook over medium heat for another 10-15 minutes, or until pasta is done. Stir in herbs and parsley. Heat through.
Ladle soup into bowls and serve with crusty bread.