Leftover Turkey Soup

I might like this even better than the turkey holiday meal! It is a two step process to make this delicious soup. First you make the stock from the leftover turkey carcass and then use it to make the soup.

Ingredients

For the stock:
1 turkey carcass, leftover from carving a whole turkey/
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
2 carrots, rough chop
A couple sprigs of parsley
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
A few fresh sage leaves
1 bay leaf
1 stalk of celery with leaves, rough chop
10 peppercorns
Salt
Pepper

For the soup:

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots, onion and celery
A couple cloves of garlic,  minced
Seasoning of your choice -options include poultry seasoning, thyme, ground sage and/or a chicken bouillon cube
2 or more cups leftover chopped turkey
Salt and pepper to taste
Noodles

(Optional to add leftover gravy or mashed potatoes)

Instructions

To Make the Stock:

Remove all pieces of meat from the turkey carcass and save for the final soup.
Put the turkey carcass, vegetables, herbs and peppercorns in a large pot. It may be necessary to break up the bones so it will fit into the pot. Cover with cold water by an inch.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat until it barely simmers. Skim off any foam that appears on the surface. Add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste.
Cook for at least 4 hours.

After 4 hours, use a tongs to remove the bones and vegetables from the pot. Allow to cool enough to handle and remove any additional pieces of meat that can be added back to the soup. Discard remaining bones and vegetables.
Strain the stock through a fine strainer or cheesecloth.

Wash the stock pot. Add some butter or olive oil on medium high heat. Add chopped onions, carrots and celery. Cook until softened.  Add garlic and saute a minute more. Add stock and seasonings.
Bring to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender. Add turkey meat, noodles (and leftover gravy and/or mashed potatoes, if desired). Continue to cook until noodles are tender.

Additional optional additions: Chopped tomatoes, frozen peas, frozen corn.
Wild rice can be substituted for noodles.
Add salt and pepper to taste and optionally a dash of hot sauce for an extra kick.

Adapted from Simply Recipes