Sunday Soup: What do you do with leftover turkey bones?
How to make stock and turn it into a comforting soup!
Our favorite part of Thanksgiving is the day after Thanksgiving. Whether you’re hosting or guesting, if you can get your hands on turkey bones (Kari’s been known to bring them home from her friends’ homes), you have the building blocks for one of our all-time favorite recipes.
Turkey stock is best made with leftover roasted bones and is ideal for filling your freezer with future soup bases. That stock is RICH. If you’re like us, you may want to use some of it right away to make a simple, hearty, flavorful soup, and stash the rest in the freezer for future dishes.
We’ve included recipes for both stock and soup below, but we encourage you to play around. Whether you’re making soup or stock, add the herbs, vegetables, or spices you prefer, and omit whatever doesn’t suit your fancy.
What’s your go-to dish for Thanksgiving leftovers?
RECIPE: Turkey Stock & Turkey Soup
Turkey Stock
Ingredients:
1 turkey carcass (leave on any clinging meat, skin, etc.)
2 stalks celery, cut into thirds
2 large carrots, cut into thirds
2 large onions, halved
1 large parsnip or rutabaga, cut into thirds (optional)
1 head garlic, halved down the center
2 bay leaves
1 bunch of thyme or sage (optional)
2-3 sprigs rosemary (optional)
1 tsp black peppercorns
Cold water, as needed
Possible additions: Shredded leftover turkey, cooked egg noodles or rice, matzo balls, cannellini beans, chopped dill, or anything that brings you joy
Directions:
Fill a large pot with the turkey carcass/bones and cut up celery and carrots. Add the halved onions; you can leave the skin on after rinsing them well. Add the parsnip, and the whole head of garlic halved down the center (equator) — you can leave the outer paper of the garlic on. Add the bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and peppercorns. Fill the pot with cold water and bring to just barely a simmer (be careful not to boil your stock, or it will get cloudy). Honestly, you can make a great broth with 100% turkey bones and nothing else.
Simmer the stock for at least 4 hours and up to 8.
Alternatively, you can cover the pot with a lid, and place it in a 250°F oven for 6-8 hours, or you can make this in a slow cooker on the low setting for 8-10 hours.
Once cooked, strain the stock through a sieve.
Stock lasts for up to a week in the fridge, and up to 6 months in the freezer.
Turkey Soup
Ingredients:
1- 2 Tbsps oil (olive, avocado, or your preference)
1 medium yellow or white onion, medium diced
1 leek (or 1 additional onion), halved and cleaned, then sliced thin
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds
3 stalks celery, peeled and sliced thin
4-5 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 parsnip, peeled and medium diced (optional)
2 tsps ground turmeric (optional)
1 bay leaf
8-10 cups turkey stock, or more if desired
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ a lemon, juiced
½ bunch parsley, leaves chopped, stems reserved for future stock or discarded
Directions:
Add the oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, sliced leek, cut carrot rounds, and sliced celery to the pot. Sauté for 8-10 minutes or until softened and onions are slightly translucent. Add the minced garlic to the vegetables and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add turmeric, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and bay leaf. Sauté for 1 more minute.
Add the parsnip (if using) and then fill the pot with the turkey broth.
Bring the liquid up to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Lower the heat, and simmer for 40-45 minutes. Taste the soup, and add salt and pepper as needed.
If adding cooked turkey, noodles, rice, or beans, stir them into the pot and simmer for a few minutes until warmed through.
Once the soup is cooked and seasoned to your liking, turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice and the chopped parsley. Garnish with more herbs just before serving (Sonya’s been known to add dill).
Serve and enjoy!
Soup will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge, or up to 6 months in the freezer.
I put carcass and bones right into the instant pot as they become available and make an overnight stock. Friday I turn that with any leftover meat into a turkey barley and lemon soup based on a Pamela Salzman recipe.