Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Pot Pie Soup

Here’s a great way to use your leftover turkey from Thanksgiving: Turkey Pot Pie Soup. It will only take 30 minutes to make, and you have a minimum of chopping, peeling or other prep work.

I’ll admit that a lot of the turkey in my freezer is “planned-over,” not “left-over.”  Most of the grocery stores offer some great deals on frozen turkey right now. So I roast one or two turkeys during November before Thanksgiving even hits. Then you can use it for sandwiches, soup and casseroles.

Turkey broth is a great base for flavorful soups. After you’re pulled most of the meat off, put the turkey carcass, put in a stockpot or a large slow cooker, and cover it with water. Add any drippings in the bottom of the roasting pan.  Toss in more Thanksgiving leftovers: the celery and carrots from your Thanksgiving relish tray, and onion from making dressing. If you use a slow cooker, turn it on low and let it simmer all night. If you’re cooking it on the stove, let it gently boil for about 4 or 5 hours. Or you can let it simmer even longer so the. bones break down and it’s more of a bone broth.

Let the broth cool for about an hour, then pour it through a strainer into a large bowl. The strainer will catch all the spent bones and meat, which can be discarded.

Taste your broth. If the flavor is weak and watery, gently boil the broth on the stove or in the microwave for an hour to let more of the liquid evaporate and concentrate the flavor. Refrigerate it for several hours or overnight, so the fat will rise to the top and harden. Skim off the hardened fat so you can cut some calories and your soups won’t taste greasy.

Use the broth for making Turkey Pot Pie Soup, which conveniently helps you use up leftover veggies or pie crust.  Just cut the crust in squares or circles to place on top of each bowl of soup as it’s ladled out.

Turkey Pot Pie Soup

Prep time: 30 minutes

4 cups turkey or chicken broth

2 tablespoons dried chopped onions

3 to 4 cups frozen hash browns O’Brien

3 to 4 cups diced, cooked turkey (can be white or dark meat, or both)

3-ounce package real bacon pieces, optional

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

3 to 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots and green beans or your favorites)

1 4-ounce can mushroom stems and pieces, drained

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Salt to taste

1 refrigerated pie crust

1. Heat broth in a 4-quart stock pot. Add onions, potatoes, turkey, and bacon, and bring to a boil.

2. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water until well blended. Whisk this into the soup, and continue whisking as the mixture boils and thickens, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Turn heat down to medium-low. Cut cream cheese into smaller chunks and stir in into the soup until well-blended. Add frozen vegetables, mushrooms and peppers, and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

4. While soup simmers, unroll pie crust on a baking sheet. With a knife, cut the crust into 6 or 7  3-by-3-inch squares (or use a round jar and cut the crust into circles). There will be some leftover dough scraps. Bake the squares at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until golden.

5. Taste the soup and add more salt or pepper if needed. Serve each bowl of soup topped with a square (or circle) of pie crust.  Makes about 6 1½-cup servings.

— “Soup’s On!” by Valerie Phillips

(Covenant, $19.95)