Preparing a turkey soup from the remains of Thanksgiving has become the second most important dish after the pot pies from the remains of the turkey for me. Unfortunately, most people are so stuffed after the Thanksgiving Dinner that the turkey carcass is discarded and that is a true shame. If you still have your turkey carcass regardless of whether you have picked the remaining meat off the bones for a pot pie, the next step is to make homemade roast turkey soup.
Turkey Carcass on Cutting Board
To make homemade soup from the remains of the roasted turkey is one of the simplest activities in the kitchen with the result being a soup that is wholesome, full of nutrition and after the gorging of the Thanksgiving Dinner a perfect way to go a little healthy before the next round of holiday feasting festivities.
Turkey Leg and Thigh Bones with Giblet Stock and Drippings in Bowl in Background
The main ingredient for homemade roast turkey soup is the carcass itself. To make the base for the soup, you first must create the stock. This is simply done by placing the turkey carcass (this includes any remaining wings, drum sticks and turkey skin) into a large pot, covering it with water, seasoning with salt, black pepper and a couple of bay leaves. If there are any remaining vegetables from the dinner, you can also add these to the pot. I also like to add a whole peeled onion and a couple of whole garlic cloves crushed to the pot.
Homemade Roast Turkey Stock
Allow the water to come to a boil and simmer the contents of the pot for a couple of hours. If you have to add water as the broth evaporates, then add water as needed. A few hours of simmering will have extracted all of the goodness and flavor from the turkey carcass and additional ingredients added to the pot. Once the broth has cooled, pour the contents of the pot through a strainer / colander to separate the turkey stock from the solid contents of the pot. You now have a simple roasted turkey stock.
Sliced Celery and Carrots for the Turkey Soup
You can then pick through the boiled carcass to add any remaining meat to the turkey stock or dice up a cup or two of remaining turkey meat stored in the refrigerator. I like to add a cup of thin sliced carrots and celery to the turkey stock to give the broth some additional flavor, color and texture. You can also add a cup of cooked rice or pasta to provide a little more substance to the soup. Regardless of what you have added, taste the soup and add more salt and black pepper as needed. Bring the contents of the pot to a quick boil and you now have a pot of homemade roasted turkey soup from the leftovers of your holiday dinner.
Homemade Roast Turkey Soup with Carrots and Celery