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After-Thanksgiving Turkey Soup

This is a soup that my children request year round. 
Print Recipe
Course Soup
Servings 7 quarts

Ingredients
  

1 leftover turkey carcass (from a 12- to 14-pound turkey, or whatever size you have)

Vegetables - Use mixture of vegetables, perhaps the ones below, to equal 4 cups

3 medium onions, chopped

2 large carrots, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

  • Or include other veggies - broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, greens, squash, sweet potato, potatoes, green beans

1 cup butter or oil or fat

1 cup all-purpose flour (or 1/2 cup cornstarch or 1/4 arrowroot powder dissolved in 2 cups cold water or cold broth)

2 cups half-and-half cream or milk or cream (or 2 cups broth)

1 cup uncooked long grain rice (if you cook this separately and add it as you serve each bowl, then you can increase your veggies up to another 4 cups)

2 teaspoons salt, opt.

3/4 teaspoon pepper, opt.

Instructions
 

  • Place turkey carcass, including bones, meat, and skin, in a soup kettle or Dutch oven or 8 qt. stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 hours. (This makes a nice turkey bone broth.) Let cool. Set aside 3 qt. broth. Remove carcass. Remove meat from bones and cut into bite-size pieces; set aside 2-4 cups.
  • In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, saute the onions, carrots and celery (and other veggies) in butter, oil, or fat until tender. Reduce heat; stir in flour (or other thickener) until blended. Gradually add 1 qt. of reserved broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
  • Add cream, rice, salt, pepper, remaining broth and reserved turkey. Bring to boil, reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until rice and veggies are tender. Stir about every 5-8 minutes as it has a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan. If it gets too thick, add more broth, water or milk.
  • Any remaining broth can be added to any remaining turkey and frozen for use another day.

Notes

16 servings (~6-7 quarts)