Turkey Soup
This turkey soup is built on a broth made from the roasted carcass, so nothing from the bird goes to waste. Pan juices and simmered bones give it body, and a good batch sets like gelatin when chilled. Sage, rosemary and thyme season it, and egg threads, corn and bright green broccoli finish the pot. It is a practical way to turn one roast turkey into sandwiches and a second meal.
Instructions
Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator if needed, which can take a few days. Wash it inside and out, and pull out the bag of organ meat. Keep the neck, heart and gizzards, and discard the liver and kidneys, since they make the broth taste worse.
Set the turkey on a wire rack in a pan, poke holes in the turkey and the neck so the juices can drain, and tuck the neck, heart and gizzards under the edge of the bird. Cook the turkey following the temperature directions for your bird. Every so often, pour off the pan juices and add a little water so the drippings do not burn dry. The heart can be eaten partway through.
Carve the turkey and take all the meat off the bones. Keep the firm slices for sandwiches and the softer meat for the soup.
Put the skin, bones, wing tips, neck and gizzards in a large pot, leaving out anything badly burned. Press the bones down, cover with water, put on a lid, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 1 to 2 hours, topping up the water as needed so the pot never boils dry. Strain the broth into a clean container.
Stir some of the broth into the pan juices you collected, adjusting by taste. If a thick layer of fat sets on top once chilled, scrape off some, but leave a good amount for flavor. If you used too many bones and the broth is too strong, add water. A good broth sets like gelatin in the refrigerator.
Cut the turkey meat and the other ingredients into chunks about the size of the egg noodles. Put the broth, the sage, rosemary, thyme, celery and bay leaf, if using, into a large pot and bring to a simmer.
If using egg, beat it and dribble it into the pot from just above the surface while moving across the pot. Do not stir until the egg has set into fine threads.
Add the noodles, turkey and frozen corn if using. If the broth was lean, add some oil. Wait until the noodles are soft.
Add the broccoli and asparagus if using. Serve as soon as the broccoli loses its bluish cast and turns bright green, before it can go yellow-brown. A little ice can stop the cooking and cool the soup to eating temperature faster.
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