Oregon Transplant: Turkey Noodle Soup

Can. You. Believe. It?

It's December. Already. I'm in shock. It feels like just yesterday I was pouring over Pinterest, trying to pick out Christmas 2014's cookie selections. How is it that a whole year has flown by? I know, I know, I say this every year, but does anyone else feel this way?

2015 was one for the books in terms of recipes. I was going through my 2015 posts and statistics, trying to guesstimate which recipes are going to make the top 15 of 2015. It was a great year for food photography. An unparalleled year. I felt quite a bit of satisfaction going over the years' work. And now, we are almost to another year. I get to post new Christmas cookies this month. Yippee! This year's selection includes :

Christmas Cookie Dough Truffles
Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies
Mint Chocolate Grasshopper Bark

And, the 2 staples everyone clamors for-

Christmas Popcorn
Snickerdoodles

I'm so excited to start holiday baking! But in the meantime, let's talk Thanksgiving leftovers, shall we?

I have to admit, hosting Thanksgiving for the purpose of having all the leftover turkey was a fantastic concept this year. I've never had so much turkey. The foodie ideas flew through my head, each one more tantalizing than the other. My mom used to make Turkey Noodle Casserole when my brother and I were kids, and I've been wanting to feature that on the blog. Turkey Cobb Salad. Turkey Tetrazzini. Turkey Tacos. Turkey Pot Pie. Turkey for you. Turkey for me.

Oops, got a little off track there. In the end, I made stock out of the turkey bones and the leftovers were slated for this Turkey Noodle Soup, and the rest for Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwiches. Yum goodie. Turkey Noodle Soup is a Thanksgiving leftover tradition that has been in my family for many moons. Warm, comforting, with tender homemade noodles. You can't beat it.

If you make this after Thanksgiving, it's a breeze to put together. I made my turkey stock (I made it just like I make my Overnight Slow Cooker Chicken Broth, but with turkey bones) Thanksgiving night, and then put it in the fridge to chill the next day. All I had to do was skim off the fat, and pour it in the pot. And hey, if you didn't make Turkey Broth, substitute some chicken broth. No harm, no foul. The turkey was already cooked, so all I had to do was shred it. The hubby made the pasta and I can verify (minus the 20-minute resting period) it was a quick process. It took him 5 minutes to make the dough, and maybe another 10 to roll the dough thin enough and to cut it into strips. If you don't have a pasta maker, here's a quick technique for making rustic homemade pasta. It's worth it, trust me.

Other than that, the most work I did was chopping and sautéing the mirepoix. I love that word. I picked it up in a Martha Stewart cookbook and it makes me feel fancy. It simply means the chopped onions, carrots, and celery that are a base for a soup. Mirepoix.

Sautéing the mirepoix :-)

Leftover turkey.

Since the turkey is already cooked, I threw the turkey in right before I put the pasta in. I let the turkey warm up in the soup for about 5 minutes, and then came those delectable noodles-

Ahhhh, heaven. Throw the noodles in last, they only take a veritable 60 seconds to cook.

Serve with crusty bread for sopping up all the wonderful goodness that is this broth. The only thing missing from this picture is a little butter for that bread!

That's better.

Seriously peeps, this is the perfect leftover dish. It doesn't taste anything like Thanksgiving leftovers, so everyone that's tired of eating turkey should enjoy this totally new-tasting dish. I know me and my brother gobbled it up back in the day.

Today will be my first day back at the gym since the holiday. Oi. That first workout after 20 lbs of turkey, bowls of gravy-laden stuffing, ponderous amounts of whipped cream and that sweetned-up nutty wonder that we call pecan pie- that first workout is always a killer. Not looking forward to it, but it must be done. After all, Christmas cookies are in my future :-)

Happy Tuesday friends!

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups turkey broth (substitute chicken broth if necessary)
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
2 1/2 cups turkey meat, shredded
6 oz dried old-fashioned egg noodles (or make your own!)
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large stockpot. When warm, add onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Add garlic, sauté for 30 seconds.
2. Add turkey broth, salt, and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then lower temperature to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add turkey to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add egg noodles to the pan. Cook another 5 minutes, or until noodles are tender. Remove pot from heat. Stir in the parsley.
5. Ladle into bowls, and serve!

*Chef's note- this soup makes a large amount. If you are going to be freezing any leftover soup, I recommend making the noodles separately and adding them to each individual bowl of soup. These noodles do not freeze well. Enjoy!

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