I've been preparing this soup recipe for several weeks. I planned to make my own turkey stock from the Thanksgiving turkey carcass to create the most delicious and flavorful turkey soup. The stock exceeded my expectations and truly elevated this recipe. If possible, I suggest making your own stock for this dish. You can find my turkey stock how-to guide here.
A few notes about this recipe:
Homemade stock, when chilled (straight out of the refrigerator) will be in gel form. I was a little alarmed when the stock flopped into my soup, but remembered that stock is made from bones which also produce gelatin.
Turkey Stock Replacement: Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
Herbs & Spices. I used fresh sage leaves along with my dried herbs and spices. I chopped up some fresh sage but I didn't care for the aroma and didn't know how it would flavor the soup so I didn't use it. I ended up using Paprika, Thyme, Salt & Pepper.
Pasta. I used a decorative fall pasta I got from my sister. I recommend using a smaller pasta like ditalini, penne, or even gnocchi.
Milk Mixture. You can use whole milk, Half & Half, or Heavy Whipping Cream... or, a combination. Whatever you have on hand is great.
Serving Left Overs. Be sure to keep some extra stock for reheating left overs. The pasta will thicken up the soup.
CRISPY STUFFING PATTIES
I served the soup with leftover stuffing patties. I simply rolled stuffing into balls, then mashed into patties. I cooked them in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. I flipped them half way through. They were crunchy and the perfect touch for the soup!
Creamy Turkey Soup
Prep Time | 5 Minutes
Cook Time | 20 Minutes
Total Time | 25 Minutes
Servings | 4 Bowls
INGREDIENTS
4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Md Onion, diced
2-3 Carrots, diced
2 Stalks of Celery, diced
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Black pepper
2 tsp Salt
2-3 Sage Leaves, whole
3 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
1 Cup of Milk (I used 1/2 Cup of Half & Half and 1/2 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream)
4-5 Cups of Turkey Stock (see alternative in my notes above)
2 Cups of Leftover Turkey Meat, chopped
1 Cup of Dry Pasta
Parmesan rind (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the Butter on Medium-High heat.
Add in the Carrots, Celery, and Onion and cook until tender. Then add in the Garlic, stir for 30 seconds, then add in the Herbs & Spices (Paprika, Thyme, Salt, and Pepper).
Mix the vegetables and Herbs & Spices together then reduce the heat to low.
Sprinkle in the All Purpose Flour while continuously stirring. Do this in smaller batches to avoid any clumping.
Pour in the Milk mixture a little at a time while continuously stirring. The mixture will be thick. Next add in the Turkey Stock and stir well to combine.
Add in the Sage Leaves and chopped Turkey. Bring to a boil.
Add in the Parmesan rind and pasta. Cook until the pasta is cooked.
Serve immediately.
Garnish with freshly shaved Parmesan cheese or Leftover Stuffing patties (see above).
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