Turkey Soup, Anyone? Every year, I'm tempted to make turkey soup with the leftovers, but I never do. How many of you use the turkey carcass to make soup?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Every year, I'm tempted to make turkey soup with the leftovers, but I never do. How many of you use the turkey carcass to make soup?

Louis in QC Loc: Gatineau QC Canada

Every year! Actually, turkey broth that I split in portions and store in the freezer for later use as the base for different soups... Instead of chicken cubes or bottled "concentrate" with the never ending list of ingredients. Why not use the real thing!

Say Cheese Loc: Eastern PA

Turkey bone soup with the small chunks of meat left on the bones and veggies added plus whatever else my wife does to make it. That is just as good as the main Thanksgiving day meal.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'll have to buy more veggies.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Louis in QC wrote:

Every year! Actually, turkey broth that I split in portions and store in the freezer for later use as the base for different soups... Instead of chicken cubes or bottled "concentrate" with the never ending list of ingredients. Why not use the real thing!

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

jerryc41 wrote:

Every year, I'm tempted to make turkey soup with the leftovers, but I never do. How many of you use the turkey carcass to make soup?

We do, basically the same recipe as chicken soup.

We've used chicken broth and turkey broth, not a lot of difference IMHO.

Whole grain noodles, carrots, thyme, onions, black or white pepper, bay leaves, parsley, celery and a tad of cooking sherry.

Don't ask for exact amounts. My wife cooks to recipe, I cook to taste.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Or you might make Brunswick stew. Since there were only two of us this year, I just baked a chicken with stuffing (I was going to do a duck, but my wife nixed that). I just turned the remainder into chicken salad a few minutes ago - just add pickle relish, mayo, salt and pepper - took about 15 seconds in a Cusinart.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I have never been a soup person. I prefer something chewable.

My first wife was a soup person so I endured such things frequently. We did not make turkey soup on a regular basis but maybe twice a decade it would happen.

Looks as if my second wife (also a soup person) will be making turkey soup this year. We had a 10 lb turkey for two people. The cat ate some. The chickens ate some. But not nearly enough. We had turkey sandwiches Saturday and will have turkey salad tomorrow. After that it's soup. I found a recipe online although them call for chicken stock.

Say Cheese Loc: Eastern PA

It seems Jerryc41 did not get a good answer.
To make turkey bone soup you take the carcass and put it in a big pot with some water and cook the daylight out of it for 4 to 5 hours making sure all of the bones are under water. Then after that, strain all of the liquid into another pot putting aside the bones. Put liquid in the refrigerator for an hour so the fat rises to the top and then can be removed leaving the good broth. Now cut up some celery, carrots, potatoes. Sauté the celery and carrots to soften them and boil the potatoes to soften them. Now put everything in the pot plus picking off any meat left on the bones and adding some turkey cut into bite size pieces. Now add some seasonings of your liking heat up and eat.
Really good.

cmc4214 Loc: S.W. Pennsylvania

Say Cheese wrote:

It seems Jerryc41 did not get a good answer. br To... (show quote)

My mother would always "whack" the carcass with a rubber mallet (a clean one) before cooking, she said that cracking the bones would release more flavor

Bartulius Loc: Bristol, Ct

I have been making turkey soup/stock for many years, also. Save all bones from the meal. I remove all usable meat from the room temp carcass (it's easier than a cold carcass) and then place the bird in a stew pot. Bring to boil for a short time, then simmer until all meat falls off bones. You may pick more meat but be careful of small bones. Strain broth through a strainer or cloth, not a colander, as you don't want any tiny bones getting through. Dice the meat, add leftover mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing to the broth and simmer until well blended. There's your hearty stock. We have this with rice or noodles or barley but you do whatever you like.

2Dragons Loc: The Back of Beyond

jerryc41 wrote:

Every year, I'm tempted to make turkey soup with the leftovers, but I never do. How many of you use the turkey carcass to make soup?

Besides the stuffing, turkey soup is the second best thing about Thanksgiving. I usually throw the whole carcass, stripped of the large pieces of bird, into a big pot Thanksgiving night, simmer it for a couple of hours, remove the meat from the bones and then put the whole thing out in the breezeway overnight. Skim the cold fat off it the next day and then throw in some salt, pepper, celery, carrots, onions and rice and have the best soup. I usually share with neighbors as there's generally more soup than I'll eat in a few days. Win, win for everyone.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

jerryc41 wrote:

Every year, I'm tempted to make turkey soup with the leftovers, but I never do. How many of you use the turkey carcass to make soup?

Well, my wife does, I just enjoy it!

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

Louis in QC wrote:

Every year! Actually, turkey broth that I split in portions and store in the freezer for later use as the base for different soups... Instead of chicken cubes or bottled "concentrate" with the never ending list of ingredients. Why not use the real thing!

Exactly what my wife and I do. We freeze quart containers of broth with meat and use them for all sorts of soup recipes ranging from simple soup 'n rice, to more complex vegetable soup dinners.

Rich2236 Loc: E. Hampstead, New Hampshire

jerryc41 wrote:

Every year, I'm tempted to make turkey soup with the leftovers, but I never do. How many of you use the turkey carcass to make soup?

ALL the time, jerry. Also, the soup, with added corn starch makes a great gravy for left over turkey.

Rich...