The day after Thanksgiving my uncle gave me a turkey. I was thankful. But at that point I was a little sick of turkey. So I cooked the bird, stripped off all the meat and froze every last bit of it (including the broth) in little freezer bags for future meals. And I’m slowly enjoying it bit by bit.
Right now an inordinate number of my friends and family are sick and that makes me think of chicken (or turkey) soup. While it may not cure you, sometimes when you’re sick it’s just the thing to make you feel a tiny bit better. Thankfully I’m not sick, but if I get that way, I’m going to have a batch of this all ready to go.
I like this recipe, especially for turkey leftovers, because it doesn’t taste like Thanksgiving. The wild rice gives it a slightly woodsy flavor all its own. Perfect wintery food. If you’re opposed to wild rice, you can substitute another kind of rice or noodles if you want. You can also substitute chicken for the turkey.
Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
1 onion, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
a few sprigs of fresh thyme (about 1 tsp of leaves)
2 cups cooked turkey or chicken
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans
1/2 cup wild rice
Pinch of cayenne pepper or paprika
Salt & pepper
Saute onion, celery and carrot in a little olive oil. Add broth, turkey, green beans and thyme. Bring to a boil and add rice. Turn heat down and cook for a half hour or so until rice is tender. Season as needed with salt & pepper. Add a pinch of cayenne or paprika for a little extra zip.
3hungrymonkeys 