Talking Turkey.... Soup

For years the soup I regularly made from the turkey carcass was, to say the least, boring. That was before I discovered recipes that consider what the day after Thanksgiving would taste like if the Pilgrims were from France, China, or Italy.

Whether the soup is going to have a French influence, Chinese style, or Italian flavor, the first step is to make a stock from the bones. The longer this can cook, the better it will be; anything from two to four hours should do the job.

Basic turkey stock ingredients:

the carcass, broken up to fit into a soup pot, but getting rid of small, loose pieces of bone 

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 ribs of celery, coarsely chopped

2 carrot, scraped and coarsely chopped

The liquid added to cover the above ingredients depends somewhat on the direction the soup will take. Enough water to cover all of the above is one possibility.

Once the bones are removed, and any meat taken off the bones, the stock can be used strained, or the vegetables can be pureed and added back into the stock. Any meat can be used in the soup, or can be used to make croquets.

French Version

12 cups liquid: a combination of chicken stock, white wine, crushed canned plum tomatoes, and water. Cook for two hours over medium heat. Remove bones but keep any meat that has fallen off the bone.

Add:

1 chopped fennel bulb

2 cleaned and chopped leeks

1 tsp chopped garlic

½ tsp thyme

Cook 15 minutes.

Add:

½ tsp cumin

1 Tbsp anise flavored liquor

Any leftover sweet potatoes cut up,  ‘et ‘bon appétit.’

Italian Version

2 cups chopped fennel

4 ounces sliced pancetta chopped

1 pound cherry tomatoes

1 15 ounce can canellini beans, rinsed

4 cups turkey strained stock from basic recipe above

1 cup leftover turkey, chopped

1 cup leftover turkey gravy or puree of the vegetables from the basic stock

¼ tsp dried crushed red pepper

½ cup chopped fresh basil, or I tablespoon dried.

Cook fennel and pancetta in a soup pot until pancetta starts to brown

Add tomatoes and cook briefly

Add all other ingredients and cook 15 minutes.

Chinese Version

For this soup, the stock is strained so it can be used without the vegetables.

For six servings, figure six cups of the strained stock and the following:

6 ounces uncooked Chinese noodles

1 Tbsp to toasted sesame oil

5 tsp grated fresh ginger

4 Tbsp oyster sauce

6 Tbsp chopped cilantro

3 cups diced cooked turkey

¾ cup thinly sliced scallions

Heat the strained stock.

Cook noodles according to directions, drain and toss with sesame oil, ginger, oyster sauce and cilantro.

Divide the noodle mixture among 6 bowls and top with turkey and scallions.

Pour broth over noodles.

Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

1 jar roasted red peppers, drained, or two small red peppers roasted and peeled

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

½ tsp thyme

2 cups leftover mashed sweet potatoes

4 cups stock (from basic recipe). The pureed vegetables from the stock can also be used, but will moderate the color of the soup.

¼ cup orange juice

pepper and salt to taste

Heat olive oil in soup pot. Add onion, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until onion is soft.

Add remaining ingredients and cook for 20 minutes.

Puree in blender.