Episode 049 is the last in a series all about turkey! In the series, Taryn goes over how to smoke a turkey from start to finish, including what to do with the leftovers. This fifth and last episode goes over how to make turkey and rice soup using leftover turkey and turkey stock made from a carcass. Listen in to hear instructions, suggestions for sides, and helpful tips!
Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, or your favorite podcast player. Or scroll down to read a full transcript.
RECIPES MENTIONED
These are some of the recipes mentioned in the episode, all of which are on Hot Pan Kitchen.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Some of the following are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Episode 45: Spatchcock A Turkey
- Episode 46: Dry Brine A Turkey
- Episode 47: Smoking A Turkey
- Episode 48: Homemade Turkey Stock
- Large pot
- Wooden spoon
TRANSCRIPT
Taryn Solie: Hello grillers, and thank you for tuning in today! I am your host, Taryn Solie, and I am here to give you some grilling inspiration. In this episode I will be going over one recipe in detail from my recipe website, Hot Pan Kitchen, and this is the last episode in the series I’m doing on smoking a turkey.
We started out with episode number 45 where I went over how to spatchcock a turkey, which just means you remove the back bone and lay it flat for cooking. This helps it cook faster and more evenly. Then in episode 46 I described how and why to dry brine a turkey – basically it helps lock in the moisture so your turkey turns out nice and juicy. Next was all about actually smoking the turkey in Episode 47. And last week’s episode, number 48, was about making a really delicious stock from the turkey carcass.
You might be wondering – what else is there? Well in today’s episode I’m giving you a recipe to use that stock – we’ll be going over how to make a leftover turkey and rice soup.
This is one of my family’s favorite ways to eat leftover turkey – and you’re getting a two for one with this recipe. We’ll use the broth made from the turkey carcass, as well as some remaining meat from the bird too. This soup is warm and comforting and just honestly really delicious.
Okay, let’s get into the recipe. To make this turkey and rice soup, you will need:
- ½ tablespoon of olive oil;
- ½ cup of diced onion;
- 2 large cloves of garlic, pressed or minced;
- 1 cup of chopped carrots;
- ½ cup of chopped celery;
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt;
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano;
- 1 bay leaf;
- 7 to 8 cups low sodium turkey stock;
- 1 scant cup of long grain white rice;
- 5 ounces of sliced shiitake mushrooms; and
- 1.5 cups of chopped turkey.
A couple of tips before we get to the recipe instructions. The first thing is you’ll notice this list of ingredients calls for pre-chopped vegetables. That doesn’t mean you have to buy them this way! But it does mean you’ll need to have prepped them before you start making the soup. You can do this the night before or the day of – whatever is easiest.
Next let’s talk about salt. This recipe uses Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt, which is less salty by weight than other salts. I like to use it when cooking because it leaves a little more room for error when you’re salting your dishes. If you have a different brand of kosher salt I would use a little less salt in this recipe, like a scant teaspoon, which just means it’s not quite filled to the top of the measuring spoon. Or if you’re using table salt I would use about ½ teaspoon.
Last tip – this recipe calls for shiitake mushrooms. I find these have the best flavor in this soup, but if you can’t find that kind or want to use something more common I would use a cremini mushroom. When slicing up your mushrooms, remove the stems and place them in a sealable plastic bag and stick them in the freezer to save for the next time you make stock!
Okay, time to talk soup! First take out a large pot and put it on the stove on a burner over medium low heat. Place the oil in the pot and let it warm up a bit, then dump in the diced onion and minced garlic. Stir with a wooden spoon and let them cook for 4 or 5 minutes, until the onion softens. You want to be sure and stir them frequently as garlic has a tendency to burn easily.
Next turn the heat up to medium and add the chopped carrot and celery to the pot. Stir with the wooden spoon to combine everything and let them cook for about 5 minutes. Add in the turkey stock, kosher salt, dried oregano, bay leaf, and white rice to the pot and stir to combine. Raise the heat to medium high and bring the contents of the pot to a boil, then add in the sliced mushrooms. Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add in the chopped turkey and stir to combine everything. Let the soup cook another 10 to 15 minutes, then taste the soup and add in more kosher salt if needed. Remove the bay leaf and discard it, then ladle the soup into bowls and serve!
This recipe makes quite a bit of soup, so if you have leftovers you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days. How long it keeps will depend a bit on how old your turkey is. If you’re making the soup the day after Thanksgiving or if you froze your leftover turkey right after the holiday, then it will keep for a couple of days. If your turkey is on day 3 or even 4, then you’ll want to eat the soup right away.
Last thing is serving suggestions. This soup is a great meal on it’s own as it has everything – veggies, meat, and carbs all in one. If you want something to go along with it I would suggest a small salad. I have a pear salad that I’ll link to on the show notes page that would work well with the soup. You of course could also do a green salad. Or if you really want to double down on the carbs you could do some cornbread too.
I have a post on my website, Hot Pan Kitchen, with pictures and the directions I just gave for this turkey and rice soup if you’re more of a visual person. I’ll put a link to that post in the show notes page for this episode. To get the show notes page, you can either go to my main website at Hot Pan Kitchen dot com and click on podcast in the main menu, or you can click on the link provided in whatever podcast app you’re listening on.
If you enjoyed this episode, I would love it if you would subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform. I hope you enjoyed this turkey series – I had a lot of fun doing it and I already have some ideas for more series to do in the future. If there’s a series you’d love to hear, email me at taryn@hotpankitchen.com to tell me what it is!
That’s it for today, thank you so much for listening, and until next time, keep grilling like a mother.
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