Turkey Noodle Soup

If you’re like me, you’ve got a lot of leftovers from Thursday’s Thanksgiving meal and you reheated them on Friday in a second go-round of the holiday meal. Who’s got the energy to refashion the turkey into another fancy meal, and who wants to add even more cheese, cream or other ingredients into already highly caloric leftovers? Lighter fare is what’s called for the day after Thanksgiving, so if you’ve got a turkey carcass with some meat clinging to the bones, don’t toss it out. Recycle it for a meal that’s easy on the digestive system and is a welcome change from all the rich foods of the last two days.

I made the soup and ate some for dinner last night. But I must confess that I couldn’t just ignore all the leftovers from Thursday. So here’s what came after the soup - exactly the same thing I ate on Thanksgiving.

At least I skipped all the prosciutto, soppressata,  cheeses, artichokes, and other goodies from Thursday’s antipasto platter (I ate those for lunch on Friday). 

There is still some leftover homemade pie calling my name (pumpkin, apple and pecan) and oh dear, some of that butternut squash gelato I recently made too. Until these leftovers get used up, I may have to spend the next two weeks on the treadmill nonstop. Ciao ciao – off to have some tea and pumpkin pie. See you at the gym.

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Turkey Noodle Soup

My son made the soup in a large, two gallon pot. It made enough for dinner and a bunch to freeze too. It’s simple to make – just fill  the pot with water, then add the carcass (ours was 21 pounds), some fresh carrots and celery, and any leftover onions from roasting the turkey if you have them. Otherwise, add a fresh onion cut in half. If your turkey was stuffed, make sure you remove as much of the stuffing as possible. The broth will be a little cloudier than if the turkey weren’t stuffed, but it will taste great in either case. Bring it to a boil, then let it simmer on the stove for about three or four hours . Chill it overnight if possible so you can skim off the fat easier when it cools. Strain out all the bones, meat and little bits of herbs. Sift through the bones, removing the meat to add back to the soup when you reheat it. Add noodles if desired.

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