Turkey Lurkey Soup

 

Turkey soup starts with a delicious turkey dinner. A turkey dinner with all of the fixins'.  Everyone tells you they know the best way to cook a yummy and juicy turkey. I'm no different! The best way to produce a moist and delicious turkey is to brine it first. (Funny side note, the word brine autocorrected to bribe. That also might work! A bribe). Regardless, never make a turkey without brining first.  This is a rule. It is truly the secret to a juicy and tasty turkey. Turkey tastes way better if it has had a 24 hour salt bath, with all of the best poultry friendly herbs. 

 

I always use my cooler to brine my turkey. I add: 

2 cups of sea salt

1 tbsp of whole peppercorns

2-4 bay leaves

Fresh sprigs of thyme, parsley, sage and rosemary

2 cloves of garlic 

1/2 cup of brown sugar or honey

Fill the cooler halfway with above ingredients and cold water; dissolve the salt. Add the turkey and then top off with with more cold water. 

 

Wait 24 hours. When you're ready to cook your turkey, drain off the excess water. If you stuff your turkey; now would be the time. Stuff away!!! Give that turkey a delicious butter massage; whisper sweet nothings to the turkey, place more butter, sage and stuffing under the skin and fill the cavity with as much stuffing as you can manage. Sprinkle poultry seasoning, pepper, chopped parsley, thyme and rosemary all over the skin of the turkey. 

Heat your oven to 400F. Place your turkey inside the oven, uncovered for 20 minutes, to brown the skin. Reduce your heat to 325F and continue to roast, covered, for 15-20 minutes per pound. Baste every 30 minutes.  Make sure you're checking the temperature of your turkey regularly. When it reaches 165F, remove from the oven, leave covered with foil on the counter, to rest. 

Now for the soup!! This is a two day process. After you pick the carcass clean, place the bones (or as many of them that fit) into your slow cooker. Add anything that might add flavour; leftover gravy, stuffing, an onion, a full carrot, celery and bay leaves. Top off the slow cooker with water. Make a bone broth. To do this, turn you slow cooker onto its low setting. When the liquid begins to boil and before you go to sleep, after a high dose of tryptophan, turn your slow cooker down to warm. I leave it on all night and awake to the most delicious smelling broth, in the morning.  Strain your bones through a colander, placed inside a large bowl. Reserve your broth. 

 

Place your broth filled bowl in the fridge. As your soup cools, it will separate.  

 

Remove the layer of fat from the top of the broth. 

 

Discard this layer. 

  

Place your broth into a large stock pot and boil. Taste your broth, as it heats up and decide if it requires salt. Once your soup has begun boiling, turn it down to medium high heat. Add the harder vegetables. Your carrots, potatoes, even parsnips, if you desire. Leave these ingredients to cook for 15 -20 minutes.  At this point, add zucchini, I like to cut mine into ribbons, as I often forego noodles, this is a great substitute. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes. At this point, turn off your pot and add frozen peas. Remove from heat. The peas will cook within the soup broth and will remain firm. 

 

Your turkey soup is now ready for consumption. Enjoy!!  If you like noodles in your soup; cook them separately, and store them separately in the fridge. Noodles in your soup broth will swell and absorb much of the broth. Your bowl of soup will be much more desirable if you place your noodles in the bowl and pour hot soup over them.  Try it with a slice of homemade sourdough!  

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Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or comments, or you just liked this Big Idea, feel free to comment below.