Friday, November 28, 2014

How To Make Post Thanksgiving Soup


Get you a pot. A pot big enough to boil seventy-eight cabbages in. A pot big enough for a toddler to use as a swimming pool. A pot big enough, in fact, to put a turkey carcass in. Cover the carcass with water and whatever broth you might have left from boiling the giblets and any giblets you might have as well.
Cook for about three hours or maybe less, depending on just how done you cooked your turkey. The meat which hides between ribs and underneath wings should be falling off the bone and you should not be able to lift out the carcass in one piece. Strain it all out of the broth, all the bones and meat and gristle and great goodness. Put all of that in a huge bowl and let it cool.
To the broth add as much chopped onion and garlic as you stand to peel and cut up.
Then celery, a bunch of it would not be too much.
In fact, anything you have left from the relish tray needs to go in there. The baby carrots, the broccoli, the cauliflower, the baby asparagus, the bell peppers, the sugar snap peas all sliced nicely...whatever you got. Ranch dressing left over? Throw that shit in there too.
Bring it all to simmer. If the turkey has cooled off enough, pick every morsel of meat you can off the bone and add that to the pot. Go through the refrigerator. What else do you have? Leftover green beans or green bean casserole? Dump it in. Gravy? Oh yeah. Sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts? Yes, ma'am. That Tupperware full of collards, turnips, and mustards? Definitely. That container of wilty salad greens? Toss 'em in there. A bay leaf is almost required. So is some achiote. Trust me. Lime juice or lemon juice. Soy sauce, Bragg's amino acids- those are important. Some Worcestershire sauce never hurts because this soup is like America which is NOT a melting pot, goddam it, but a glorious coming together of all cultures and races and their foods. Leftover bean salad? You bet! Leftover rice if you have it and if you don't, some brown rice, some wild rice, some whatever-grain-you-like-to-eat-in-soup. Cut-up potatoes. Leftover mashed potatoes. Hell, I just threw some of my cranberry relish in mine which contains chopped raw cranberries, apples, oranges (including the skins), and pecans.
Let it simmer and simmer and simmer. This is a good project to take on the day after Thanksgiving when you're sick and tired of pie. I don't recommend throwing pie in there but I won't tell anyone if you do.

Somehow it all works. You could call it turkey soup or you could call it a big ol' mess. Doesn't matter to me. It's good. If you tend towards the Indian food side of things, add some turmeric and/or curry powder. Make enough to share with someone. Take that and a loaf of bread to a friend and they have meals for three days.

Soup is medicine to eat and probably more powerfully, to cook.

I just talked to Lisa-Lisa, Redheaded Lisa Whom We Adore and she is going to be here tomorrow.

Good Lord. Blessings abound.


6 comments:

  1. Made my broth last night. Did you really throw in the cranberry relish?

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  2. I have just lifted the turkey leg bone out of my day after soup.

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  3. Betsy- And today, I never want to look at food again.

    Denise- Just a little bit.

    That Hank- I bet it will be good soup.

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  4. Bubbling on the stove right now... Turket Mushroom. Barley Soup with fresh dill. Then into the freezer in "got home late, hungry, and tired" portions.

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  5. That SOUNDS good. We need to make more soup around here.

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