Turkey Soup with Dumplings (Homemade Bone Broth)

Perfect for using up the last of the Thanksgiving or Christmas Turkey

Turkey Soup

For the Stock:

1 turkey carcass, meat removed from bones

1 large onion, quartered

2 carrots, chopped

Several celery tops/leaves

Several sprigs fresh parsley

1 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

5-10 peppercorns

2 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Cold water

Add all ingredients to a large soup pot. Cover with 1 inch of cold water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer. Simmer 4 hours with the lid tilted so broth can reduce. Then, remove bones/large chunks with tongs and strain through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Discard bones, veggies, and anything else the strainer catches (you’ll use fresh veggies for the soup).

For the Soup:

¼ cup butter

3 cups chopped carrots

3 cups chopped celery

3 cups chopped onion

4 cloves garlic

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

4 tsp. poultry seasoning

Several dashes of sage, thyme, marjoram, turmeric, savory, etc.

Egg noodles or dumplings

6-8 cups shredded turkey meat

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large soup pot. Add onion and celery and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook a minute more, until fragrant. Add the carrots and seasonings, then cover with stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer 10 or so minutes until carrots are about halfway done. Then, add noodles or dumplings, as desired. Simmer until carrots and noodles/dumplings are cooked through (10-20 minutes more). Add the turkey meat and heat through. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Soup Dumplings

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

A few dashes of any seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, etc.)

2/3 to 1 cup milk

Whisk together dry ingredients. Fold in milk with rubber spatula. Add enough milk to make a sticky dough.

Drop by small spoonfuls onto top of rapidly boiling soup. Cook 10 minutes uncovered, then another 10 minutes simmering and covered. 



Note: I had plenty of broth leftover that I froze in muffin trays and then transferred to a large gallon sized ziplock bag in the freezer so I can use it as needed for other recipes. Super handy! 

Authentic Posole

Authentic Posole

Seriously tastes just like how my aunt makes it....and she's authentic.

Ingredients:

3 lb. pork shoulder, BONE IN. 

2 onions (keep separate) (only need 1 onion if doing 1-day directions, 2 onions if making the broth ahead of time)

4 garlic cloves

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 cups water

1/4 cup butter (only if doing 2-day recipe)

1 jalapeno

4 cups hominy (Mexican corn, in the Hispanic foods isle. Picture of can provided for reference)

Salt to taste

Cilantro

Lemon juice

Shredded iceberg lettuce

2 day crock pot directions (more flavorful):

1. Place pork shoulder, one onion (quartered), garlic, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, and water in crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours until meat is extremely tender. 

2. Refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight) for the fat to settle on top. 

3. Skim off the fat with a large spoon (but do not discard). Shred meat (removing any fat) and store in fridge. Place bones and fat back into the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours. 

4. Strain broth through a fine-mesh strainer/cheese cloth. Discard bones, onions, and any other solids. 

5. In a large soup pot, melt butter. Add second onion (chopped) and jalapeno (chopped). Cook until tender. Add hominy (drained) and cook a few more minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Simmer 1 hour.
6. Add shredded meat and heat through. Salt to taste.
7. Serve topped with fresh cilantro, lemon juice, shredded lettuce, etc.

Same-day stove top directions (simpler, but you get less bone broth flavor):
1. Place pork shoulder, chopped onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, and water in large soup pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer covered 1 hour.
2. Add hominy and jalapeno to soup. Boil, then simmer covered another 90 minutes, until meat falls off bone easily and hominy is cooked.
3. Using tongs, shred meat into soup and remove bone. Salt to taste.
4. Serve garnished with cilantro, lettuce, lemon juice.

Here is what hominy looks like in the store. You can use white or yellow hominy. I prefer yellow hominy but my store didn't carry it so I used this instead.

Holiday Cranberry Salsa Dip

Holiday Cranberry Salsa Dip

Ingredients:

12 oz bag fresh cranberries (about 3 cups)

1 bunch green onions, finely sliced

2 small jalapenos, seeded and minced

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

2 T. fresh ginger, grated (really easy to do if the ginger is FROZEN btw)

1/2 cup white sugar

2 T. lemon juice

16 oz cream cheese, softened (just before serving)

Crackers

Directions:

1. Rinse cranberries. Pick out any mushy or bruised ones. Place in food processor or blender and pulse to chop (do not puree).

2. In a bowl, combine chopped cranberries, green onion, jalapeno, cilantro, ginger, sugar, and lemon juice. Should be lookin' pretty fanciful and festive like the photo below.

3. Cover and refrigerate for at LEAST 4 hours for the flavors to mature (salsa will be too tart/sharp to begin with).

4. Soften cream cheese. Just before serving, mash cream cheese into salsa with a potato masher. Serve with crackers.