Homemade Turkey Soup

Carcass from cooked 10 - to 12-lb (5 to 6 kg) turkey

3 quarts (12 cups/3 L) water

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper

1/4 tsp (1 mL) poultry seasoning or dried sage leaves

1 dried bay leaf

1/2 cup (125 mL) uncooked pearl barley

3 medium carrots, sliced (1 1/2 cups/375 mL)

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup/250 mL)

2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup/250 mL)

3 cups (750 mL) cut-up turkey

2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh parsley, if desired

Instructions

• 1Break up turkey carcass to fit 6-quart Dutch oven. Add water, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and bay leaf. Heat to boiling over high heat; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 1 hour 30 minutes.
• 2Skim off any residue that rises to the surface. Remove bones, meat and bay leaf from broth; cool. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and cut into bite-size pieces; set aside. Discard bones and bay leaf.
• 3Skim fat from broth; discard. Add turkey meat cut from bones to broth; stir in barley. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 44 Stir in carrots, onion, celery and 3 cups cooked turkey. Simmer uncovered 20 to 25 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables and barley are tender. Stir in parsley.

 Variation: Turn this into Homemade Turkey-Vegetable Soup by adding up to 3 cups (750 mL) raw or cooked vegetables, such as whole kernel corn, green peas, diced potatoes, sliced zucchini, sliced mushrooms or any combination, along with the carrots, onion and celery.

 How-To: An easy way to add layers of flavour is to use poultry seasoning. A blend of sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper and nutmeg, this seasoning lends a subtle savoury note to chicken and turkey dishes.http://www.lifemadedelicious.ca/recipes/homemade-turkey-soup/3790ba26-93d5-4e67-b190-8219213fa54c?sc_lang=en&utm_source=LMD_Newsletter_EN&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=42284_Newsletter_EN&utm_content=recipes