Turkey Soup
By: Sheri Wetherell
Published: November 28, 2008

I can barely think of food today. After our Thanksgiving feast yesterday I am still.so.full. You'd think after feeding 18 people there would be no more food left over, but oh contraire! Our two refrigerators are still as packed as my belly.
The perfect light meal that knocks out some of that left over bulk is the classic day-after-Thanksgiving meal: Turkey Soup. I promise, a nice warm bowl of this will calm that overstuffed tummy.
Turkey Soup
You could also substitute chicken. Want it even lighter? Make it without noodles.
1-1/4 pounds boneless turkey meat
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 quart homemade broth from turkey carcass
1 cup water
2 carrots cut into thin rounds
1 cup small pasta (such as shells or bowties)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Handful of fresh spinach
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat butter and oil in large pot and add the onion, garlic, thyme, basil and rosemary.  Saute on medium heat until onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
Increase heat to high, add broth and water and bring to a simmer.  Add carrots and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the pasta and celery and cook until just tender, about another 5 minutes.  Then add turkey meat and spinach.  Stir in parsley and lemon juice.
Makes 6 servings.

Comments:
Nina
November 30, 2008

My husband is dieing for me to make turkey soup. Do you cook the pasta first or in the broth?  I usually do turkey and rice, but this year I might try the pasta.  When you make your broth what else do you put in with the turkey carcass?
Barnaby Dorfman

I like to cook the pasta separately first, but I think that is more of a matter of taste. If you cook it in the broth, it will thicken the soup.
One way to really maximize the flavors in the broth is to roast the turkey carcass with vegetables before you make the broth. I like to use a lot of the trimmings of vegetables for this as well, so the tops and bottoms of celary, onion skins (yup the whole skin), carrot peels, garlic skins, parsley stems. They all have flavor and don't worry about grit or dirt, that all gets strained out with the bones or left at the bottom of the pot.