What is a good receipe for turkey soup? It doesn't have to be easy just reeeeeeeeeeeal good. I have some meat left on it. THANKS and hope yours was as good as mine.. HAPPY HOMESTEADING

-- carrie (onemaur@olg.com), November 23, 2001

Answers

Does it need to be soup? Could it be a pot pie, stew (which might be as close to soup as you might get), turkey & noodles (this can also be used with rice in place of noodles). If you don't have much meat left you might add it to gravy, or drop dumplings.

I know you asked for a receipe, however I hope this list of suggestions has given you some ideas. And I also hope someone else can give you the receipe you originally asked for.

Good luck

animalfarms

-- animalfarms (jawjlewis@netzero.net), November 23, 2001.

We just simmer the carcass in water for a while, strain out the bones and gristle (let broth cool off outide or in the fridge so you can skim off the fat), then add an onion, a little garlic, and veggies to taste. Barley or rice (white, brown, or wild) is good too, if you don't want to add noodles. Let people salt their own, but other spices like sage are good to add while it is cooking.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), November 23, 2001.

I usually freeze my turkey carcass for awhile since we're tired of the taste of turkey. Anyway, I just put it in my crockpot and cook it all night. Sometimes I have to break it up cause it's too big. In the morning, I take it out and put it on a cutting board to cool. I pour the broth in a large measuring cup (64 ounce) and put that in the refrigerator so the fat will come to the top. I take all the meat off the bones and give the bones to the outside cats! I take the fat off of the top of the broth and strain the broth. Then the broth goes back into the crockpot and I put in any veggies I want to. When they are partially cooked, I add the meat and flavor to taste. Add a fresh loaf of bread to the menu and you've got a great meal!

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), November 23, 2001.

This is our favorite: Cr. celery soup, chopped green chili, grated carrots, turkey. It's on the menu tonight!

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.net), November 23, 2001.

Put chopped vegetables as carrots, potatoes,peas,onions or as you like with the carcass and cover with water leaving at least 1/2 of the pot empty. Cook till meat comes off bones and vegetables tender. Discard the bones. Add milk till about as much as is now in the pot and heat until hot and steamy-do not boil milk as it will separate. Put in a couple of teaspoons of poultry seasoning or to taste. Another variation is to put about a lb. of Velveeta or like cheese and to allow to melt in the hot soup. Velveeta will make the soup slightly creamy. Now that is a meal.You can also add brown rice while cooking the carcass. Wild rice is especially good.

-- Terry Lipe (elipe@fidnet.com), November 23, 2001.

Consider cutting off the left over turkey meat, cutting it into no more no more than 1/2" cubes, freezing on a cookie sheet and then putting in a zip-lock bag for use sometime in the future. As noted, the left over bones can be used to make turkey stock.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), November 23, 2001.

I'm afraid that I like to cheat on this one. I pick the carcass clean, give the skin and bits to the animals, and put the meat in ANY type of canned vegetable soup. I like the soup with a tomato base the best, I think. I make it pretty hearty, and serve with bread or buscuits. After Thanksgiving I really don't feel like putting too much effort in cooking!

-- terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), November 23, 2001.

A very good addition to the above recipes is some greens, cut into strips easy to hadnle with a spoon. When I make lentils or turkey soup, I'll get three or four leaves of Swiss chard, remove the rib, cut into strips and add early in the cooking process. Kale is good, too; both add color and extra texture.

Sometimes I'll add leftover rice and/or noodles.

-- Mark Sykes (mark@marksykes.net), November 24, 2001.

Simmer the turkey bones in 8 cups of cold water with 1/2 head celery, 2 onions cut in half unpeeled and 2 tablespoons of vinegar for about 3 hours( you may need to add a bit more water). Strain. Discard all but broth and bits of meat. Chill for 24 hours and skim and discard 3/4 of fat, bring to boil and add 1 cup each diced carrot, celery, potato and 2 cups or so or less turkey meat. Cook until veggies are tender firm. Serve with crusty bread!

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), November 24, 2001.

I was driving into town yesterday in my DH car he had his radio on. This cooking show was on so I listened. The recipe below was being talked about but with the mountains there was so much interference. I went to the radio station web site and found this among other recipes. It sounds very good and can't wait to try it on my next turkey.

After-Thanksgiving Turkey Soup

Here's the perfect solution for using up every last bit of goodness from that Thanksgiving turkey. Brown the bones and make a wonderful, rich soup stock! The soup may be enjoyed as-is, or frozen in batches for later use (use freezer bags, or freezer-safe rigid containers - remember to leave some head-room in freezer containers for the expansion that will occur in the freezing process). Add vegetables, leafy greens such as spinach or chard, and/or chopped, cooked turkey for a main-course soup. Add noodles for a turkey-noodle soup. Of course, the broth may be used to make sauces and to enrich any other recipes you may dream up, as well.

If you do not have a stock pot large enough for this recipe, simply scale down the ingredients to fit the pot available. NOTE: Avoid using an untreated (shiny) aluminum pot for preparation (anodized aluminum is okay, or use stainless steel, ceramic-glazed iron such as Le Creuset, or other non-reactive material) - but, if you must prepare the stock in aluminum, be sure NOT to store the stock in the aluminum pot. The broth will take on a metallic taste, and discolor the pot, as well.

Makes about 6 Quarts

1 turkey carcass 2-3 medium-size onions - roughly cut into several large pieces 3-4 fat carrots - roughly cut into several large pieces 2 large stalks, celery - roughly cut into several large pieces 2-3 tablespoons, vegetable oil - or as needed 3- 5 large cloves, garlic - (Bruised and smashed gently under the side of a chef's knife) 2 bay leaves - gently crushed 1 teaspoon, dried thyme - or 3-4 stems, fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon, whole peppercorns 3-4 stems, fresh parsley

Place the turkey carcass in a shallow roasting pan. Include any meat clinging to the bones, and any other turkey bones you may have, including wings. Break off and discard any bones that appear so tiny that they might blacken in the browning process. Scatter the pieces of one onion around the bones. Place the pan with bones in a 350 degree oven, and roast for about 1 hour, turning the bones occasionally for even browning. The bones are roasted sufficiently when they are a rich brown color.

While bones are roasting, sauté the remaining cut-up onion, along with the carrots and celery pieces, in a large skillet or pot, using just enough oil to keep them from sticking, until lightly browned. Add bruised garlic during last 5 minutes of cooking. Set aside.

When bones are browned sufficiently, remove the roasting pan from the oven, and transfer all of its contents to a large stock pot. (Discard any blackened pieces.) Place the empty roasting pan over two burners, and add a cup or two of hot water. Scrape up all of the browned bits in the pan, and add to the mixture to the stock pot.

Now, add to the stockpot: the sautéed vegetables, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns and parsley. Pour over 8 quarts of cold water - or more, if needed, to cover everything in the stock pot by 3-4 inches. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, 3-4 hours, to extract all the flavor from the ingredients. During simmering, stir occasionally, and skim off sediment as it rises to the surface, using a large shallow spoon.

Strain finished stock through a chinois ("china cap" conical strainer) or other strainer into a clean pot or bowl. Discard the solids. If furthur reduction is desired, boil the stock to reduce. When reduction is completed, add salt to taste.[NOTE: Do not add salt until stock is reduced to desired strength - salt will not reduce, and if you salt too early, the end result will be oversalted.] Cool and refrigerate or freeze. Stock will keep in refrigerator for three days.

NOTE: If you wish to keep the stock for longer than three days without freezing it: on the third day, bring it to a full, rolling boil in a saucepan, boil for two or three minutes, then cool and re-refrigerate the stock in a clean container (don't re-use the original storage container unless you wash it first). Each time you boil the stock, you will reduce it slightly, so the volume will be diminished - but, as long as you boil it every three days as described, you can safely keep it in the refrigerator.

Food Talk with Melinda Lee Saturday 11-2 & Sunday 12-2 http://www.kfi640.com/melindalee.html

-- westbrook (westbrook_farms@yahoo.com), November 25, 2001.