Making soup with turkey carcass

Odelyah

Mon, May 12 2014, 1:34 am

I made a couple of whole roasted turkey breasts for Pesach, and after I sliced off the turkey meat, I stuck the carcasses in the freezer. I know people use them as a base for soup but I've never actually done it. Does anyone have a simple, delicious, method/ recipe for doing this? TIA Smile

imasinger

Mon, May 12 2014, 5:57 am

Here's what I do. Take large soup pot. Add turkey bones, 1/2 chopped onion, 2-3 ribs celery, coarsely chopped, 2 carrots, chopped. Add water to fill. Simmer on stove. Add bay leaf, 1-2 cloves crushed garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. (Start with 2 t salt and 1/2 t pepper, and adjust.) You can also add yellow squash, cut into large pieces, or any other things you like in soup.

After several hours, let cool. Skim fat from top of soup. Remove carcasses and separate meat from bones. Toss bones and add turkey back to soup. Cool and store, or reheat.

Odelyah

Mon, May 12 2014, 3:41 pm

imasinger wrote:

Thanks a lot! This is just what I was looking for! Just to get a sense of the proportions, when you say a large pot, do you mean about 12qts.? That's the size of my large soup pot. And would you use 2 turkey carcasses for that size pot? Thanks again!

Odelyah

Mon, May 12 2014, 3:47 pm

Frumdoc wrote:

Same as with chicken carcass.

Thanks! Do you mean you would use it in place of chicken (or chicken bones) in your chicken soup recipe? I was thinking of trying that. What amount of turkey bones would be equivalent to what amount of chicken? This is what I wasn't sure about. Would you use about the same amount of weight of bones that you would use of chicken, or do you need less (or more) of the turkey carcass in proportion to the water and vegetables? Thanks again!

imasinger

Mon, May 12 2014, 3:54 pm

Odelyah wrote:

I think a 12 qt pot would do nicely. One or two carcasses? Depends on the size, and the amount of meat left on them. I'd say use them both, and if the flavor is too strong for your taste, divide the broth into two batches and use half at a time, adding water to each half to taste.

Turkey has a slightly different taste from chicken, but otherwise, I treat them the same for soup making.

Odelyah

Mon, May 12 2014, 3:56 pm

greenfire wrote:

I can't imagine there would be any flavour left to infuse into the soup ...

I know-- I wouldn't have thought of it myself but apparently that's what everyone is supposed to do with what's left of their Thanksgiving turkey-- just do a search for "turkey carcass soup". I think they say the roasting beforehand gives the bones more flavor that then transfers to the soup. But I've never actually tried it so I wanted some ideas-- I wanted to make sure it has enough flavor. Also I wanted to find out here if anyone did it because the recipes I found all had you first use the carcass to make a broth, and then strain and add new veggies, etc. I wanted to find out if I could just make a good simple one-step soup with it the same way (more or less) that I make chicken or vegetable soup, and according to Frumdoc and Imasinger it sounds like I can! Yay Very Happy

Odelyah

Mon, May 12 2014, 3:58 pm

imasinger wrote:

Sounds like good advice! Very Happy

Thanks again!

mummiedearest

Mon, May 12 2014, 5:38 pm

I just use turkey bones instead of a chicken. it tastes great, but be aware that turkey soup has a very strong scent. my dh hates that smell, so I don't bother anymore.

Frumdoc

Mon, May 12 2014, 7:03 pm

I've used raw turkey carcass to make soup when I bought it instead of chicken carcass, as it was marginally cheaper. I did exactly what I do for chicken soup, which is throw in a bunch of vegetables, salt, pepper and fill up to the brim with water. Bring to the boil and then let it simmer/ lightly boil for as long as possible, I usually leave mine for 8 to 12 hours, topping up with water when necessary.

I don't recall a different smell or taste to our usual chicken soup, tbh. Maybe a big stronger, we like it strong and dark in color.

I never roast the bones or carcass before, and usually make soup from chicken carcass, never whole/ more edible chicken pieces, which are strictly reserved for eating!

Odelyah

Mon, May 12 2014, 8:58 pm

greenfire wrote:

if it comes out tasty - please don't call it 'turkey carcass soup'

I know I don't plan to it sounds gross-- "turkey soup" or just "soup" will do fine Smile

spring13

Mon, May 12 2014, 10:02 pm

I did it the same way I do chicken soup (which I usually make from bones anyway). It has plenty of flavor, don't worry. Yes it is somewhat different than chicken soup, but I think you'd have to be fairly picky to mind.

I tend to make soup with less meat/bones than most people, I found one carcass to be plenty for a large pot of soup. Just cook it until it tastes as strong as you like.