Turkey Soup (for the Soul)

So, Thanksgiving was different this year. Gone were the 4-6 drive to Massachusetts, the attempt to make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in my mother’s understocked kitchen with an under-skilled chef (me!), the what-should-we-do-now feeling after you’ve cooked for 4 hours and eaten for 4 minutes.

Instead, my husband ordered a Thanksgiving kit from Seamore’s. Why would he order traditional Thanksgiving food from a fish restaurant? No clue. But I’m glad he did - the meal was actively delicious and fun to prepare. The portions were generous. Super, super generous. WTF do we do with all this leftover turkey generous.

Enter turkey soup! My dad used to make turkey soup by sort of rinsing the turkey under water and throwing some celery in (I hate celery). I vowed to do it differently.

In progress

I started with this recipe from Food52 and then decided to add pasta to bulk it up (just throw it in at the end and cook it in the broth per the box directions). I also used my favorite veggie chopper and All Clad set.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium white onion, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced

3 celery sticks, finely diced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 (32-ounce) box low-sodium chicken or turkey stock (or homemade)

2 pounds cooked turkey meat, shredded or cut into large chunks (about 4 cups)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Chopped flat-leaf parsley, lemon wedges, and red pepper flakes, for garnish

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until translucent and soft, about 3 minutes. Add the thyme and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery and sweat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until all the vegetables are coated. Slowly pour in the chicken or turkey stock, stirring continuously to break up any lumps of flour. Add the turkey meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes until the liquid has reduced a little and the soup has slightly thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Ladle into bowls, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately.

I loved how it came out, and we ate it for a couple of days before I just couldn’t eat another bite of turkey without exploding.

Voila! It’s turkey soup!