Thanksgiving turkeys are no chickens. They are, by definition, large. And they tend to leave at least some leftovers behind, even if it’s just a giant turkey carcass. Not to mention other items, like gravy, corn, stuffing and potatoes. So, what do you do with them?
Leftovers get a bad rap, but there’s no reason for that. While there’s nothing wrong with reheating yesterday’s dinner, it’s not the only way to put leftovers to use. With a little bit of innovation, both your stomach and your wallet will stay full and happy. This hearty turkey soup will extend the taste of Thanksgiving well past the holiday. Pair with some warm rolls and make it a meal. Soup:
- 1 turkey carcass
- about 2 quarts of water
- 2 large onions
- 4 stalks celery
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 whole black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 cups shredded leftover turkey meat
- 1 cup leftover corn kernels
- salt
- pepper
Dumplings:
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour (plus more as needed)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more as needed)
- ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups leftover stuffing
Before you begin:
Pick your turkey carcass clean.
Shred 2 cups of leftover turkey meat.
Quarter one of the onions and chop the second onion.
Peel the carrots; coarsely chop 2 carrots and slice the other 2.
Coarsely chop 2 celery stalks and slice the other 2.
Mash 4 of your garlic cloves and chop 2.
Making the Broth:
Put your turkey carcass, the quartered onion, and the coarsely chopped carrots and celery stalks into a large stockpot and cover with about 2 quarts of cold water (should just cover).
Add the mashed garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns.
Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer gently for an hour.
Remove from heat.
Strain the solids from the broth through a fine mesh strainer.
Reserve the broth (10-12 cups).
Making the Dumpling Mixture:
Add eggs, flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ground black pepper to taste into a small bowl and whisk together until smooth.
Add stuffing to the mixture, and mix until they are well combined.
Cover and reserve the dumpling mixture.
Making the Soup:
Add oil to a clean stockpot and heat over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent (about 6 minutes).
Add the sliced carrots, celery, reserved broth and thyme sprigs and bring to a simmer.
Cook vegetables for about 10 minutes until just soft.
Adding the Dumplings:
Roll tablespoons of the dumpling mixture into balls. Use wet hands. If the dumpling dough is too soft to roll, add flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, until firm enough to roll and drop into simmering soup.
Cook until the dumplings float (about 3-4 minutes).
Finishing the Soup:
Stir turkey meat and corn gently into the soup.
Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer until heated and serve immediately.
Servings: 6
