Turkey Carcass Soup

I like cooking for Thanksgiving. I love to eat homemade cranberry sauce and warm rolls with butter. I could probably eat a whole plate of Lynn's twice-baked potatoes. But I'm not a big fan of turkey, and I really don't get excited about leftover turkey (I'll mention that Thanksgiving leftovers don't go to waste at our house, though, since Rich more than makes up for my lack of zeal in these areas).

Though I'd roasted a few turkeys before, I'd never saved the bones for soup. After roasting beef bones and making Phở this spring, I've felt prepared to make my own stock. So this Thanksgiving, we saved all the miscellaneous bony parts and a few days later I made this soup. It turned out great and has caused me to look a lot more favorably on the Thanksgiving leftovers situation.

This recipe is adapted from Cook's Illustrated's Turkey Noodle Soup. It makes about 3 quarts, enough for 8 to 10 servings.

Turkey Carcass Soup
1. • 1 turkey carcass (they called for a 12-14 pound turkey, but we had a 20-pounder), cut into 4 or 5 rough pieces to fit into pot
   • 1 large onion, peeled and halved
   • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped coarse
   • 1 large rib celery, about 4 ounces, chopped coarse (we didn't have it, so I left it out)
   • 3 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled and smashed
   • 2 cups dry white wine
   • 1 bay leaf
   • 5 sprigs fresh parsley leaves (we didn't have it, so I left it out)
   • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
   • 2-3 cups medium-sized pasta (we used spaghetti broken into thirds and it though it was kind of messy to eat, it reminded me of the canned chicken noodle soup I ate growing up and the comfort was well worth the mess)
2. 1. Bring turkey carcass, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, wine, bay leaf, and 4 1/2 quarts water to boil in 12-quart stockpot over medium-high heat, skimming fat or foam that rises to surface. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 2 hours, continuing to skim surface as necessary. Add parsley and thyme; continue to simmer until stock is rich and flavorful, about 2 hours longer, continuing to skim surface as necessary.
   2. Strain stock through large-mesh strainer into large bowl or container; remove meat from strained solids, shred into bite-sized pieces, and set aside; coarsely chop vegetables and discard remaining solids.
   3. Add pasta and reserved shredded turkey meat from stock; simmer until pasta is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper; serve.

Loaded miso soup

I haven’t tasted many miso soups, but in my experience they have been quite minimal. The most elaborate contained a few tiny cubes of tofu and a few shreds of seaweed. In comparison, this miso soup (adapted from a Mayo Clinic recipe) is loaded with tofu, onions, mushrooms and watercress. And it tastes fantastic. The only difficult part was trying to find white miso at a reasonable price (I did find some near the refrigerated tofu at my local Whole Foods). If you want to try the recipe and you live nearby (or I’ll see you soon), let me know and I’ll share my tub of miso with you.

Loaded Miso Soup
1. • 1 tablespoon olive oil
   • 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
   • 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
   • 3 cloves garlic, minced
   • 4 cups vegetable stock or broth
   • 2 tablespoons white miso
   • ½ pound firm tofu, drained and cut into ½–inch cubes
   • ¼ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, cleaned with a damp cloth, stemmed, and thinly sliced
   • 1 cup watercress leaves
   • 1 green onion, thinly sliced
2. 1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the yellow onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and saute about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil.
   2. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Whisk in the miso until dissolved. Add the tofu, mushrooms and watercress and simmer until the tofu is heated through and the mushrooms and watercress are softened, about 1 minute.
   3. Garnish with the green onion.