When it’s cold and dreary outside, a hot bowl of soup warms us up from the inside-out. It’s time to retrieve the frozen carcass of your Thanksgiving turkey and transform it into a one-dish meal with a few simple ingredients. Not a pretty dish and it’s simple food, but it makes our family feel good.
1 turkey carcass
6 carrots, peeled and cut to 1-2-inch pieces
6 celery stalks, cut to 1-inch pieces
1 large leek, cut to 1-inch pieces or 1 medium yellow onion, halved then quartered
1 1-lb bag of frozen peas
1 1-lb bag of frozen whole green beans
1 C pearl barley
Salt and black pepper to taste
Saffron to taste
Cut the carcass if needed to fit a large casserole. Cover completely with cold water. Place on medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Skim off any foam. Add the carrots, celery and leek, and bring back to a boil, then simmer for 1-2 hours. Add the barley, bring back to a boil, then simmer again for 1-2 hours, until meat on the carcass falls off the bones. Remove the bones, scraping off any remaining meat into the soup. Add the peas and beans, then simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt, black pepper and saffron as desired. Bring back to a boil for 15 minutes. Serve hot.
