A Deliciously Tasty Turky Carcass Soup Recipe
When you are cooking a large holiday feast and your family pulls out the most desirable parts of the turkey from the dinner table, you are left with a turkey carcass that is still full of flavor and the question of how to use it. That answer is turkey carcass soup, and you can get used out of every single bit of Turkey you purchased when you make this soup the day after to enjoy.
Why Turkey Carcass Soup?
After a holiday meal, there seems to be too much waste happening, especially when superb ingredients are still left. There is always a turkey carcass left, but some leftover vegetables and rice didn’t get used and needed to be cooked.
The turkey carcass adds a great flavor to the stock when you cook it for hours, allowing it all to break down and give a delicious finish to your holiday meal. The clean-up is so much less once you cook all these ingredients, and the soup represents coming together just like the family did for the festivities.
Collect Your Ingredients
Most of the ingredients you need for this soup should be in your home already. Chances are you’ve already used most of them for other dishes served during the main meal the day before.
- Turkey carcass
- One can of diced or peeled tomatoes
- One large onion, diced
- Two large diced carrots
- Two chopped celery stalks
- One cup of shredded cabbage
- One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- Six cups of chicken broth
- Four cups of water
- One cup of uncooked rice
- Italian seasoning
- One bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
Remember that not all these ingredients are required, especially if you do not have them and want to use what you have available.
Substitutions
If you do not have any broth available, you can use water. The broth is there to add additional seasoning to the soup and is more productive in smaller carcasses. Large turkey carcasses do not need much help from the broth at all.
The vegetables you use can also be what you have on hand. You may have more carrots and celery than listed here, which is okay to add. This is just an average amount of what to expect from leftovers. If you have other veggies, like a can of corn or sweet peas, you can also add those to the soup.
If you prefer certain seasonings but are not a fan of the Italian seasoning blend, add about a teaspoon of your dried herb favorites to a bowl and then add it later to the soup when the time comes. If you do not want to use rice or have some leftover potatoes you need to cook, you can dice up about six of those potatoes and use in this soup, as well.
Build Your Soup
Now that you have all your soup ingredients together, it is time to start bringing together the turkey carcass soup.
1. Cook Your Carcass
In your large soup pot, turn your burner to medium-high heat and add your turkey carcass. Add the water and some chicken broth if you want until the carcass is covered. Let the carcass start boiling before turning your pot down to a simmer and covering the pot. The remaining meat will take about an hour and a half to fall off the bone.
2. Prepare Your Veggies
While your carcass is cooking down, prepare your veggies for the next step. Wash them all down well and remove the excess dirt that might have been missed at the market. Begin dicing your onion and add to a bowl. Peel your carrots next and then cut them into the same size dice or chops. Your celery also should be chopped in the exact sizes and then added to the bowl with the carrots and onions.
Finally, you want to slice that leftover cabbage that wasn’t used. I wouldn’t use more than half of the head, or it will start to take over the soup flavor. Make the slices thin so that they will cook down when added. Put all these veggies in a bowl and back in the fridge until the carcass is done.
3. Remove the Carcass
Once the meat has fallen from the bone in the soup pot, remove the turkey carcass and dispose of it. Please put the turkey meat in the pot and chop it into bite-size pieces.
Before adding it back into the pot, strain the broth left in the pot and remove any small pieces of bone and cartilage that may be floating. Dispose of these pieces, too, as they can be choking hazards in your soup.
4. Add the Turkey Back
Once the broth is straining clear, you can add in your turkey meat and your bay leaf. Turn the soup back on medium-high and let it reach a rolling boil.
5. Add it All In
Once the meat is boiling, add your canned tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, and cabbage to the soup. If you want rice in your soup, add it now, too. Toss in your Italian seasoning or the seasoning options you prefer, along with the Worcestershire sauce. Cover the soup and let it simmer for the next hour. The veggies will get tender, and all the flavors will blend.
6. Serve and Store
After an hour, check the veggies and see if they are tender enough to serve. Once they meet your preferred consistency, fish out the bay leaf and dispose of it before serving. Begin ladling your soup into soup bowls and let your loved ones enjoy this flavorful soup. Turn your burner off and let the soup cool down.
If you have any leftovers of this soup, feel free to refrigerate up to three days safely and reheat it when you are ready to enjoy it. You will reheat it back on the stove for 30 minutes, stirring it well and letting the heat work its way through the soup.
If you want to freeze this soup (without potatoes), add it to a freezer-safe bag once it has cooled completely and stored in your freezer for up to four months. Letting it thaw before you reheat it would be best, but it will have that same flavor later.
Make This Soup Anytime
While this is pretty popular around the holidays, if you are craving this taste but do not have a turkey carcass, you can make it with sliced turkey breaks in your market year-round or even turkey meatballs. Ensure you cook your turkey first and then add your veggies to make this soup favorite.
