Friday, December 2, 2016

Turkey Rice Soup (from Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey)

Making turkey rice soup with the turkey carcass and any leftover trimmings from Thanksgiving has always been a family tradition of ours for as long as I can remember. Mind you, I grew up in Taiwan during the '60s through '80s when and where Thanksgiving was not exactly a national holiday. But back in the day, my dad always went all out and bought a relatively pricey (cuz they were imported) Butterball turkey (or two if we were having a party) to make a proper Thanksgiving feast. Making soup from leftover Thanksgiving turkey is by no means an original idea - many other families do the same - but this is my take on my mom's version, which conjures up all kinds of warm and scrumptious fuzzies for me during the holiday season.


Ingredients:
1 turkey carcass and any other leftover trimmings
3 ribs of celery, chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
Water

3 ribs celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced 
1 small green cabbage, cored and sliced
3 cups uncooked rice
Salt & pepper, to taste
(Optional - 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1 tsp. onion powder)

1. Place the turkey carcass and any leftover trimmings into a large pot and cover with water; add 3 ribs of chopped celery, 2 carrots and 1 medium onion, chopped. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours or until the stock is well flavored.

2. Strain the stock into a large bowl and pour the stock back into the large pot. 

3. Remove as much meat as you can from the turkey carcass and trimmings; set aside.

4. Bring the stock back up to a simmer and add the sliced cabbage, 3 ribs of sliced celery and 2 sliced carrots. Simmer for about 10 minutes, taste the stock, and season with salt and pepper according to your taste. 

5. Stir in the rice and bring to a boil; simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, for another 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Taste and re-season as needed. 

Simmer the turkey carcass and trimmings with carrots, celery and onions.

 Strain the stock, reserving the turkey.

 Remove as much meat as you can from the carcass and trimmings.

Add cabbage, celery, carrots and turkey meat to the strained stock and simmer for 10 minutes.

 Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.

 Add the rice and simmer, covered, for another 30 minutes or until the rice is very soft, stirring occasionally.

  Soup should be slightly thickened by the rice. Taste and re-season as needed before serving. 




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