The BEST Homemade Turkey Soup Ever

from Ginny Love’s

“Some people roast turkey at Christmas just so they can eat turkey soup a few days later.” – Ginny Love

Yup, that would be me!

Kitchen Supplies:

Large Soup Pot w/ lid

measuring cups

strainer/ sieve

cutting board

knife

garlic press

Ingredients:

1 – 2 diced onions

2 – 3 peeled & diced carrots

2 – 4 diced celery stalks

3 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter (I used Ghee)

12 Cups homemade Turkey broth

1 – 2 pressed or minced garlic cloves

2 – 3 Cups chopped turkey meat

1/2 – 3/4 Cups uncooked Rice or Barley

Salt & freshly ground pepper for taste

Because I was making two batches of this soup at the same time I cut up more vegetables.

I make one batch with barley and a second with brown rice to be gluten free.

If you like more heartiness in each spoonful, as opposed to mostly liquid

then you’ll have to experiment with quantities for yourself.

Keep a record of how many cups of each diced vegetable, chopped turkey and grains

you use so you’ll know for the next time around.

Pressed garlic.

Heat pots on medium.

Once pot is warm add unsalted butter or Ghee.

As butter begins to melt, add diced carrots, celery and onions.

Saute until soft. Below.

Once softened, add pressed or minced garlic. Above.

Let garlic cook for a minute or two before adding the stock.

[I added 14 Cups stock to my large pot and

10 Cups stock to my smaller pot.]

While the homemade turkey stock comes to a boil (above)

chop the turkey meat (below).

I divided the meat for my two batches:

4+ Cups for the large pot w/ Barley

2+ Cups for the smaller pot w/ Rice

This is the rice I used.

Once the stock comes to a boil, turn down heat to a simmer.

Add the grains and meat.

Add 1/2 Cup Brown Rice (rinsed and drained).

[I added the rice to my smaller pot.]

Pot barley.

or

Add 1/2 to 3/4 Cups of pot barley (rinsed and drained).

[I added the barley to my larger pot.]

Or maybe you would like a combination?

Adding a cup of Pasta is another option.

Add chopped turkey meat.

Cover. Simmer for 45 minutes.

(until rice or barley is cooked through)

ENJOY!

I find that when I reheat soup on the stove the next day it tastes even better,

rather than reheating it in the microwave.

This soup freezes well.

Be sure to cool overnight in the refrigerator before transferring to plastic freezer containers.

Roast Turkey (youasamachine.com)
Homemade Turkey Stock (youasamachine.com)

My Golden Kabocha Pumpkin

About six years ago, a Shiatsu Therapist suggested I make a soup from the sweet Japanese Kabocha Pumpkin. She told me that medicinally it is very calming and soothing to the body, especially to the spleen, pancreas, and stomach. Apparently, these organs needed calming.

She gave me the simplest recipe. It was fantastic. The original recipe called for the addition of Adzuki beans, but since I don’t eat beans now, (according to my blood type!) I just leave them out.

I made the soup today. I’m in love with this soup. It’s sweet, filling, has an incredible aroma and is so simple – my family loves it too.

In the past I played around with the ingredients thinking that more was better and would use different stocks trying to ‘add’ more goodness to the soup. What I’ve discovered is that it’s best like this.

The Kabocha is a variety of Japanese Winter Squash. It is naturally sweet and big on flavour. Kabocha pumpkins are usually green – well, at least that is how I came to know them until yesterday, when I found a shipment of Golden Kabocha at my local grocer.

Here is a picture of a typical Kabocha.

Image via Wikipedia

INGREDIENTS:

1 TBSP. Ghee or Olive Oil

1 Medium Kabocha (Green or Golden), cut into cubes (volume of approx. 8 Cups).

1 Medium Sweet Yellow Onion, chopped (approx. 1 Cup)

3-5 Medium Carrots, chopped (approx. 2 Cups)

4-5 Cups of Fresh Water

1/2 tsp. Kelp Granules (or 1/4 tsp. salt)

——————————————–

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash & Dry Kabocha Pumpkin

Caution: the Kabocha has a very hard skin, exercise caution when cutting through.

2. Cut Kabocha in half – scoop out the seeds and strings. Cut the pumpkin into manageable slices with the intent to cut away the hard skin. Once the hard skin is removed, cut pieces into small cubes.

(The soup will be pureed at the end. If you don’t want to puree the soup you may choose to cut your pumpkin into smaller pieces and serve as is.)

3. Discard/ compost the hard skin, seeds, stem and bottom knot. (below)

4. Wash and chop medium onion.

5. Wash, peel and chop carrots.

(keep the skins on the carrots if you prefer, just be sure to scrub them clean first).

6. Heat large soup pot on medium heat.

7. Add 1 TBSP. Ghee (or Olive Oil).

8.Add Kabocha, onions and carrots. Stir well to coat vegetables with Ghee or oil.

9. Allow vegetables to soften for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until some of the onions look just shy of becoming caramelized on the bottom of the pot. In other words, until the onions start to become golden and somewhat translucent.

(after 8 – 10 minutes on medium heat).

10. Add 4-5 Cups of Water.

(left: 4 Cups of Water)

(Right: 5 Cups of Water)

I decided to put in 5 Cups of water. I could have put in 6 but I decided to add more later if need be.

If you put in too much water and the soup is too runny you can just reduce the soup by cooking it without a lid which will allow some of the liquid to evaporate and therefore thicken up your soup naturally.

11. Cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.