It’s 11:15 pm Thanksgiving night, the last guest just left, arms loaded down with leftovers. I pushed the start button on the final load of dishes in the dishwasher, grabbed my coffee, and waddled my still stuffed self to the computer to share this recipe with you.
I might have over bought in the turkey department this year. According to my calculations we ended up with three pounds of turkey per person here. It wasn’t entirely my fault, all the turkeys at Sams were giant..I had no choice.
Needless to say, we have lots of leftover turkey and this just happens to be a great recipe to use up some of it. I plan to invite the family over again Sunday and serve them this with a loaf of homemade bread to go along side. One household alone shouldn’t be responsible for eating all the leftover turkey now should they?
Give this recipe a try and let me know how your crew likes it. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and if you plan to do any shopping this weekend don’t forget to support your small local businesses too!
Blessings of the Bird Soup (Adapted slightly from Mary Jane’s Farm)
1 Onion, Diced
2 Stalks Celery, Diced
2 Carrots, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
3 Tbsp. Butter
8 Cups Turkey or Chicken Stock
½ Cup Brown Rice
½ Cup Wild Rice
4 Cups Turkey, Diced or Shredded
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Saute the onion, celery, carrots and garlic in butter. Add stock and brown and wild rice; bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Add 4 cups diced turkey, cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8.
Turkey Stock
To make your own turkey stock place the turkey carcass in a large pot and cover with cold water. Toss in a bit of diced celery, a diced onion, and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (the vinegar helps to leach the minerals from the turkey bones)
Cover and simmer for 12 to 24 hours. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface of the stock. Add more water if necessary during the simmering process.
After simmering, strain thru a fine mesh sieve. You can use the stock in the above recipe or store it in the fridge for one week, or freeze it to use in future recipes.
