Healthy Recipes – Turkey Soup
We all know, “a turkey and some mistletoe help to make the season bright.” So, with Thanksgiving behind us, and the winter holidays ahead of us, how about making some turkey soup for those cold winter nights?
The best turkey soup base starts with, you guessed it, turkey stock! All you’ll need to get started is a large pan – and some water, oh… and a cooked turkey!
Start by removing the turkey meat from the carcass and setting it aside.
Break down the carcass if you need to, so it can fit into your soup pot. Add enough water to just cover the carcass, but not so much that it boils over. Cut a couple of onions, some celery, and a few carrots into big pieces and toss them in the pot. Add in a few bay leaves, a bit of salt and some peppercorns and crank up the heat. Let the pot come to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer.
The time it takes depends on how big your turkey was. The average simmer time is 2 -3 hours, unless you had a bird bigger than 20 pounds. If your bird was massive, allow at least a half hour more.
Once the stock is done, strain it into another large pot, let it cool and stick it in the fridge. You’ll want it to chill for a few hours so you can strain off whatever fat rises to the top (yuck!). Remove any meat from the bones and set aside. Discard the remaining solids (bones, veggies, etc.).
Creating your soup is next! We’ll share one of our many favorite turkey soup recipes, but feel free to be creative!
Turkey Soup with Kale and White Beans
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
6 carrots, diced
2-3 stalks diced celery
1 tsp (more if you love it!) minced garlic
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 cans cannelloni beans (white kidney beans)
1 bunch kale, chopped
2 cups chopped cooked turkey
Salt and pepper to taste, (or substitute with Adobo Seasoning)
Instructions:
In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat.
Add the onion and cook for a couple minutes. Add the carrots, celery, salt and pepper, thyme and rosemary. Cook until the veggies start to get tender.
Add the beans and kale. Add the broth back to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
Add the reserved chopped turkey and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!!
ps – looking for another great soup recipe? Click here for another one of our favorites!!
