One of my favorite recipes to cook up in the winter months is my mothers Homemade Chicken Soup. Each year I make it once, I’ll normally eat it for a week straight, but I also make enough to freeze and store so it’s ready to go and prepared when I want it!
If you’re looking to do something with your Thanksgiving Day leftovers, this recipe will work just the same! The recipe calls for making your own turkey broth, so if you’re up for it, give it a try, you’ll have enough left over that you could freeze, store and use later if you choose!
Ingredients
2 gallons of water (or the quantity of broth you would like
1 turkey carcass
2 carrots chopped
1 white onion chopped
1 large carrot chopped
3 bay leaves
1 clove of garlic chopped
3 tbs olive oil
4-5 cups of all the veggies and sides from Thanksgiving {broccoli, green beans, sweet potato, tomato, all of it}
All of your left over Turkey Meat
Making Your Turkey Stock
Place half diced onions in stock pot with 2 tbs of olive oil, simmer until lighter in color.
Break up all the turkey carcass bones and place in a stock pot with the onions, add chopped celery.
Add water and boil for 2 hours. Drain the broth of all solids and you now have broth! Take what you’ll want for this recipe, and package and freeze the rest!
Making Your Turkey Soup
In a large pot, add two tbs of olive oil, garlic, and other half of onions. Simmer until brown then add carrots and rest of your celery. Give it about 5 to 7 minutes for all to soften.
Chop all the leftover veggies that you will be using, and bring the broth to a simmer.
Place in pot (except sweet potato, hold off on that until the end) add broth, 2 bay leaves.
The last thing to add will be the sweet potato, be gentle in submerging the potato, then cover the pot, turn off heat and let it sit for about 10 minute to collect all the great flavors.
And there you have it, a healthy option, that makes room in the fridge, keeps you warm and deters you from the picking throughout the weekend!
I hope you enjoy this recipe!