Susan's Turkey Soup
Submitted by coolsprings
Susan’s Turkey Soup: a hearty post-Thanksgiving soup made from the turkey carcass with yellow and green split peas, chickpeas, small pasta, and aromatic vegetables. Three legumes, one pot.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minSusan’s Turkey Soup is the soup that justifies saving the Thanksgiving carcass. The turkey bones simmer with yellow and green split peas to build a stock that is thicker than broth and richer than chicken soup, the kind of bowl that holds a spoon upright.
The double-pea trick is what makes this version distinctive. Yellow split peas break down into a thick, mellow base, while green split peas add color and a faintly grassy note that keeps the soup interesting. Chickpeas thrown in late add chewy texture against the soft peas.
Cut the carcass in half before adding to the pot. A whole carcass barely fits in most stockpots and crowds out the vegetables. Halving it makes for better flavor extraction and easier handling later when you fish out the bones.
The recipe runs lean on liquid intentionally. The result is closer to stew than soup, almost spoonable thick. The note at the end is real: chill the soup overnight, pick the meat off the bones, and dilute with water as you reheat. The peas have flavored the base hard enough that adding water does not weaken it.
Small pasta (tubetti, tubettini, or ditalini) cooks in the residual heat once the rest is done. Avoid larger shapes; they take too long and disturb the texture.
Chef Tips
- Save the turkey roasting pan drippings (defatted) and add to the stockpot. Those drippings carry flavor straight from the holiday roast into the soup.
- Soak the split peas for an hour before adding if time permits. Soaked peas break down faster and create a smoother soup.
- Add a Parmesan rind to the simmer for umami depth. The rind dissolves slowly and adds savory weight.
- Freeze portions in single-serve containers. The soup reheats beautifully and improves over a few days.
Variations
- Stir in a cup of chopped fresh kale or spinach in the last five minutes for a green-vegetable boost.
- Add a teaspoon of dried thyme or sage for a more herb-forward flavor that suits the Thanksgiving tie-in.
- Swap small pasta for cooked rice or barley for a different grain texture.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the carcass in half and put it into a large stockpot. Add onion, celery, carrots, yellow and green split peas and enough wate er to cover the ingredients by an inch or two.
Let this mixture come to a boil. Lower the flame to a good simmer and cook for about ¾ of an hour. Add 1 can chick peas, a handful of small pasta (tubetti or tubbettini are my favorites) and when the pasta is al dente, the soup is finished. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and eat! After the soup is chilled remove the carcass and pick off any pieces of turkey that remain. You may want to add more water, as this does produce quite a thick soup. Add as much as you need. The vegetables and peas will have flavored the broth enough to withstand the addition of more water.
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