A Turkey's Second Life

Turkey Noodle Soup

Whether your turkey began as the featured entrée for Thanksgiving or Christmas or a special meal request from your favourite birthday girl or boy, it can have a great second life when you turn it into stock and then into soup.

And why, you ask, would you want to take the time to make your own turkey stock? First, I am not aware of any commercially available turkey stock (although commercially prepared chicken stock is a great substitute). Second, it’ll make you feel down-to-the-bone good about using up every last scrap of the bird. Then, there is the healthy benefit of being able to control what’s in the stock. For me, I just love how the aroma of the simmering stock fills up the house. And, of course, there’s the delicious turkey noodle soup you can make with the stock.

This is a very basic stock. You can apply the same technique to make stock from a leftover chicken carcass. Here are a few tips for the novice stock makers out there.

1. Begin by taking as much meat from the carcass as you can. Chop it into bite-size pieces and refrigerate it to use in the soup, a sauce or casserole. You can use any meat still left on the carcass after it’s simmered, but it won’t be as flavorful (having given its all to the stock). You will also have to take extra care picking it off the bones as turkey does have some very small and often sharp bones.
2. The vinegar is added to draw calcium from the bones. The vinegar smell and taste cook off as the stock simmers.
3. The onionskins are optional. They will add some colour to the stock. FYI - The stock in the photos had onionskins added.
4. If your bird came with giblets and the turkey neck, you can throw them into the stockpot, too. Your cat will later thank you for the cooked giblets.
5. You can add other vegetables to the stock, but the onions, celery and carrots are your base. 
6. When you bring the stock to a boil, it will froth up and foam (aka scum) will rise to the top. You can skim the foamy scum. To do this, use the edge of a spoon or a tea strainer or get yourself a skimming tool (mine is from Pampered Chef – great for skimming scum and taking hot foods from liquids i.e. boiling perogies.) If you don’t skim, don’t worry. Your stock will be a little cloudier but the taste won’t be affected. FYI - The stock in the photos was not skimmed.
7. The stock can be frozen for future use. If you Google “freezing stock”, you’ll find a lot of ideas advice on how to do it.

This is also a very basic soup. You can easily change it up using different spices or use rice instead of noodles or even add leftover gravy to it for a creamy finish. You can add the meat and noodles directly to the soup before serving. At our house, I offer them on the side so each of us can create the perfect personal meat to noodle ratio. I always serve this soup with a good rye bread and butter.

 MA’s Basic Turkey Stock

 1 turkey carcass

Approximately 15-20 cups water or enough to cover the carcass

2 – 3 tbsp vinegar, white or apple cider

1 cup roughly chopped celery, including leaves if you have them

Ready for the long simmer

1 cup roughly chopped carrots, well-washed and unpeeled

1 cup roughly chopped white onions, including skins if desired

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

Handful of dehydrated parsley flakes

Giblets and turkey neck can be added, if you have them

Put the above ingredients into a large stockpot and bring to a boil. You can skim the foamy scum that rises during the boil or leave it. If you don’t skim, don’t worry. Your stock will be a little cloudier but the taste won’t be affected.

Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pot from heat and let cool for several minutes.

Straining the stock

Strain all solids from the stock. For safety’s sake, it’s a good idea to remove the larger bones and chunkier vegetables first, especially if you are going to pour the stock through a colander. Finish by pouring the stock through a fine mesh strainer.

As the stock cools, the fat will rise to the top and form a layer. You can remove this and dispose of it or render it for use in future cooking. (The rendering technique will appear on the blog in the future.)

Finished stock

The stock can be frozen for future use.

Makes about 20 to 22 cups of stock.

 Printable Recipe for MA's Basic Turkey Stock

MA’s Turkey Noodle Soup

Basic vegetables for soup

14 cups turkey stock

1 cup onions, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, sliced

Left-over turkey meat, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Egg or egg white noodles, cooked

Place the stock in a large pot and heat to boiling.

Place the vegetables in stock. Simmer for about 1 ½ hours or until the vegetables are cooked to your liking.

Add meat and noodles to soup or serve meat and noodles separately and have each person create their own perfect bowl.

Printable Recipe for MA's Turkey Noodle Soup