Turkey Stock and Soup

My mom decided to give me the carcass this Thanksgiving. There was still a ton of turkey on it, so I picked it as clean as I could and made soup with the meat.

Turkey Stock

1 carcass, picked over

2 huge carrots

4 stalks celery

1 onion

handful peppercorns

salt

Add everything to a stock pot. Don't be shy with the salt. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Cook for several hours. The longer you cook it, the more flavorful it will be. I cooked mine for about three hours. I'm not patient enough to do it for longer than that. Let cool and then transfer to storage containers. I ended up with 5 1 qt freezer bags, 1 tray of ice cubes, and 5 cups to start a pot of soup.

Turkey Soup

2 tblsp olive oil

3 medium carrots chopped

4 stalks of celery hearts chopped

1 medium onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic chopped

2-3 cups chopped turkey

5 cups turkey stock

2 cups water

1/2 head cabbage cut into 1" squares

frozen or leftover veggies (I used corn and peas)

Salt and pepper

Crushed red pepper

Chopped parsley

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and cook until tender. Add turkey, stock, water, cabbage, and any additional veggies. Season to taste. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for at least 30 minutes. Add parsley just prior to serving.