Thanksgiving is over and Christmas holiday is officially upon us. What in the world are you going to do with leftover turkey? Your family will only endure wonderful turkey sandwiches on yummy sourdough for a couple of meals so now what?
Maybe there isn’t a whole lot of actual meat left after being carved and picked over….soup is one of the best ways to make the most of this!
The basic idea for this recipe came after a friend shared this recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. It is a family favorite..hearty and full of flavor. So this year I decided instead of my usual Turkey Pot Pie, I would make soup (because I LOVE soup, its a favorite comfort food)
So let’s get started, shall we?
The Recipe and Prep
First I take all the turkey leftovers (wings, legs, pieces of meat and even skin) and toss them in my crockpot or stockpot with a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar to make a quick Turkey Stock. Stock adds so much more flavor to soup than just plain water. Cook at a nice simmer overnight. This will also help get some leftover meat of those wings and legs! You can read about the wonderful health benefits of bone broth here.
The next morning strain out the bones and get the meat off them. Set meat aside and discard bones.
In a crockpot add:
1 onion diced
2 carrots diced
2 ribs of celery finely chopped
2 bay leaves,
1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning,
6 cups of the prepared stock and
2 cups water
1 cup Wild Rice
Cook on low for about 4-6 hours depending on your crock pot. The point here is to make sure your veggies and rice are completely cooked. I add the turkey in last because it is already cooked and this way it will retain its shape and texture.
Now time to make the “Creamy” part of the recipe. Although you could easily serve it as is for a nice soup as well!
In a separate pot on medium heat:
1)Melt 5 Tablespoons of butter/oil or a combination.
2) Add 1/2 cup all purpose flour and mix well, but don’t brown.
3)Add 2 cups of whole milk, SLOWLY!
4)Constantly whisk together until you have a nice white sauce that is thickened.
5) Add to soup in crock pot and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bon appetit,
