Turkey Soup

This is Bill's favorite soup. I think Bill looks forward to this soup as much as he does the turkey dinner. This soup is actually a cross between a soup and a stew. Like most soups this will even taste better the next day. What a great afterThanksgiving meal.  If you don't want to take the time to boil the turkey carcass to make the broth then just skip the first few steps and buy turkey stock.

Omitting the butter and milk/cream and omitting the rice or substituting with brown rice will make this a much more figure friendly soup.  

TURKEY SOUP (serves 14)

Ingredients:

*1 leftover turkey carcass (you should get about 2-3 cups of turkey from it)

*3 medium onions, chopped

*3 celery ribs, diced small

*3 large carrots, diced small

*1 cup butter, cubed

*3/4 cup flour (add another 1/4 if you like your soup thick)

*2 cups half & half or whole milk or 2% milk.

*1 cup uncooked long grain rice

*2 teaspoons salt

*1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

*1 teaspoon pepper
*4 quarts turkey stock (you will get that when you boil the carcass in water)

Directions:

~Place turkey carcass in a soup kettle and completely cover with water.

~Bring to a boil.

~Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-3 hours.

~Remove carcass and cool.

~Set aside broth (should be about 3 quarts).

~Remove turkey from bones and cut any large pieces of turkey into bite-size pieces. (double and triple check for small bones)

~Set turkey aside.

~In a soup pan, sauté the onions, carrots and celery in butter until tender.

~Stir in flour until well blended.

~Cook stirring continuously for a minute.

~Gradually add 1-2 quarts of turkey broth.

~Bring to a boil.

~Cook and continuously stir for about 2-3 minutes. (until thickened).

~Add milk rice, salt, bouillon, pepper and remaining 2 quarts of turkey broth, stir .

~Add turkey, bring to a boil.

~Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until rice is tender.

Instant Pot Directions:
~Add turkey carcass, 1 onion with skin on (quartered), 2 carrots (roughly chopped), 2 celery stalks (roughly chopped), 4 garlic cloves (cut in half), 2 bays leave and 10 cups of water into instant  pot.
~Pressure cook for 40 minutes and do a quick release.  
~Allow stock to cool slightly.
~Pour stock through a fine meat stainer.
~Discard cooked veggies, skin and bones (unless you plan on making bone broth).
~Put chicken in a container making sure you remove all bones.  
~Cook rice and set aside.
~Rinse out instant pot container and lid.

~Put on sauté mode and allow to get hot.
~Add butter, onions, celery, and carrots, and sauté until tender (2-3 minutes).
~Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
~Slowly add 2 quarts of turkey stock, stirring constantly.  
~Bring to a boil, and cooking until thickened (2-4 minutes).
~Add milk and rice, bouillon,  salt, pepper and remaining 2 quarts turkey stock.
~Take off of sauté mode and pressure cook for 2 minutes.  
~Do a quick release.

Healthy version:

~1 tablespoon butter or olive oil to sauté veggies.

~omit flour & milk.

~Add cooked brown rice in place of white rice or omit rice all together.  

~Cook as directed above. 

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