The Day After the Feast Before Turkey Soup

Name: The Day After the Feast Before Turkey Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 35 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 12 serving(s)
Ingredients: 3 1/2 lbs cooked turkey bones (from which most of the meat has been removed); leftover turkey skin; 16 cups water; 1/2 cup leftover gravy (or more); 1 bay leaf; 6 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 2 cups coarsely chopped celery tops; 1 cup coarsely chopped scraped carrot; 1 cup coarsely chopped peeled onion; 1 cup coarsely chopped leek (green part); 6 parsley sprigs; salt; fresh ground pepper; 2 cups carrots, scraped and cut into 1/4-inch dice; 2 cups celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice; 1 1/2 cups finely chopped leeks (white part); 1/2 cup finely chopped peeled onion; 2 cups fresh ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 2 cups zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 1/2 teaspoon finely mincded garlic; 1/2 cup orzo pasta; 1 cup corn kernel (fresh or frozen); 1 cup cooked turkey, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (white or dark meat); 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley; 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Submitted by JackieOhNo!

"I had always been a great follower of Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey of The New York Times, and learned to cook by following their recipes. They printed this recipe in 1987, from which I learned to make a rich, delicious stock and heartwarming soup. I have continued this tradition for 21 years now, and am posting this recipe here so that I am assured of never losing it! Over the years, though, I have made some personalization to it. For instance, my habit has been, after dinner, to remove all meat from the turkey frame. I then immediately put the entire turkey frame in a huge stockpot with enough water to cover, and add the rest of the stock ingredients. Instead of cooking it for 1 hour, though, I usually let it simmer for anywhere from 3 to 4 hours. Before I go to bed for the evening, I strain the soup, let it cool, and refrigerate for use the next day. That Thanksgiving Friday, I skim the fat off the chilled stock, and then prepare the soup as directed. Again, I must reiterate, it is delicious!"

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Ready In:: 2hrs 5mins
Ingredients:: 25
Serves:: 12

ingredients

3 ¹⁄₂ lbs cooked turkey bones (from which most of the meat has been removed)
leftover turkey skin
16 cups water
¹⁄₂ cup leftover gravy (or more)
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups coarsely chopped celery tops
1 cup coarsely chopped scraped carrot
1 cup coarsely chopped peeled onion
1 cup coarsely chopped leek (green part)
6 parsley sprigs
salt
fresh ground pepper
2 cups carrots, scraped and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cups celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 ¹⁄₂ cups finely chopped leeks (white part)
¹⁄₂ cup finely chopped peeled onion
2 cups fresh ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
¹⁄₂ teaspoon finely mincded garlic
¹⁄₂ cup orzo pasta
1 cup corn kernel (fresh or frozen)
1 cup cooked turkey, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (white or dark meat)
¹⁄₄ cup finely chopped parsley
¹⁄₂ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

directions

To make the stock, put the bones in a kettle and add any leftover turkey skin.
Add the water, giblet gravy, bay leaf, thyme, celery tops, coarsley chopped carrots, coarsely chopped onion, green part of leeks, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and let simmer for one hour. As the broth cooks, skim off and discard any scum, foam and fat that rises to the surface.
Strain the broth into a clean kettle, discarding the solids, and skim off all fat from the top. Bring to the boil and add the diced carrots, diced celery, white part of leeks, finely chopped onion, tomatoes, zucchini and garlic. Let simmer about 10 minutes, then add the orzo. Continue cooking five minutes and add the corn kernels and cubed turkey meat Continue cooking 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Serve with the grated Parmesan cheese on the side.

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Reviews

Excellent broth (have made it precisely this way for years). So I took my broth out of the freezer and proceeded with the soup, using a 14oz can of tomatoes and cooked barley rather than orzo. It was fast, easy, fresh-tasting and a big hit at the table. Don't let the long list of ingredients put you off, you just throw it in a soup pot and let it simmer. I added Recipe #216828, a marvelous marriage.

sugarpea

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

JackieOhNo!

Stormville, New York

I didn't start cooking until my early 20's, even though I come from a family of accomplished and admired home cooks. While I grew up watching my Italian grandmother in the kitchen, I remained uninterested in trying anything on my own. As a young lady, I was known for being particularly ignorant in the kitchen, with no idea how to even make a hot dog! All this changed, however, when I got engaged. I realized it was time to let my inherent talents out of the bag. At the time, the New York Times had a weekly column called The 60-Minute Gourmet by Pierre Franey. Each week, I would follow these recipes diligently, and taught myself to cook that way. From there, I began to read cookbooks and consult with relatives on family recipes. At my ripe old age now, I feel I know enough to put together a very pleasing meal and have become accomplished in my own right. Having an Irish father and an Italian mother, I'm glad I inherited the cooking gene (and the drinking one too!). One thing I have learned is that simpler is always better! I always believe cooking fills a need to nurture and show love. After being widowed fairly young and living alone with my dog and cats, I stopped cooking for awhile, since I really had no one to cook for. I made care packages for my grown son occasionally, and like to cook weekly for my boyfriend, so I feel like I am truly back in the saddle!!

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