The monumental task of Thanksgiving meal prep takes hours, if not days, before family and friends pile up their plates with carved turkey, mashed taters, stuffing and assorted sides. In a matter of minutes, stomaches are stuffed and thoughts turn to leftovers. Sandwiches. Pot pie. A casserole concoction of stuffing and mashed potatoes. Noodle soup.
For generations in our house, turkey noodle soup starts with the picked over and cooked down carcass. The basis of turkey noodle soup starts with a bone-based broth. To make this, cover the bony bird remains, along with any other parts like wings and legs, with just enough water to submerge them. Add Bay leaves, dried spices (including parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme), pepper, and simmer for around an hour.
Remove the bones and return any meaty bits from them back into the stock. A mirepoix of celery, carrots, and onion is added to the pot. Include fresh herbs this time, if possible. The combination of both dried and fresh herbs gives the soup a savory depth. Once the vegetables are soft, around 1 hour, add any additional leftover turkey meat to the pot. Continue to simmer while you make the egg noodles. (*If making noodles seems too daunting, opt for your favorite egg noodle or pasta.)
Egg noodles aren’t difficult to make, but do take some time to roll and cut out. The first egg noodle recipe I found and continue to use comes directly out of Fannie Farmer’s cookbook. A copy of this American culinary classic was in the basement library at Interior Elementary in South Dakota. I checked it out so much so that Mom and Pop gifted me with a Christmas copy in the 6th grade. A book fair bookmark from back in the day still marks page 329’s “Homemade American-style Noodles.”
Like the original recipe instructed, I once placed rolled and cut noodles over a broomstick across two chairs. Noodles need a chance to dry out (about 10-15 minutes) before being added to your boiling soup. Nowadays, I enlist the help of my Kitchen Aid mixer and any willing participants. Make the dough according to the recipe, but roll it out to about a 1/4-inch thickness before running it through the pasta roller attachment. I start with the setting at 1 and repeatedly run the dough through, ending at the 5 setting. (Be sure to lightly flour the dough at each pass through the roller so it doesn’t stick.). Use whatever pasta cutter you prefer for your noodle width/type.
Cut the noodles to whatever desired length you and yours enjoy. I opt for about 4 to 6-inch length noodles. Once cut, gently toss them with flour and let sit on a parchment lined baking sheet to dry out (again, about 10-15 minutes). Bring your soup or stock to a rolling boil, and add as many of the slightly dried noodles to the pot as you want. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, then enjoy! (Unused and uncooked noodles can be put up in a zip-top bag and frozen for up to 3 months.)
Next Day Turkey Soup with Homemade Noodles
Holiday turkey leftovers, veg, herbs and homemade egg noodles create the ultimate comfort food sure to warm your soul and stomach.
- Total Time: About 2 Hours
- Yield: About 6–8 Large Servings 1x
Ingredients
For Soup Base:
1 turkey carcass, including any uneaten wings or legs
1 tsp. each dried herbs–parsley, thyme, rosemary*
3 Bay leaves
3 to 4 cups cut-up/shredded leftover turkey meat
1 medium-sized onion, diced
6 celery stalked, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 T. fresh parsley, minced + extra for garnish
1 T. fresh rosemary, minced
1 T. fresh thyme, stems removed and minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
For Egg Noodles:
3 large egg yolks
1 large egg
3 T. water
1 T. salt (table, kosher or sea)
2 cups all-purpose flour + extra for rolling and dusting
Instructions
To Make Soup Base:
Place turkey carcass and any other uneaten parts still on the bone into a large stockpot. Add enough cold water to just cover the bones. Add dried herbs, 1 Bay Leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 1 hour over medium heat.
Remove bones from pot with a slotted spoon. Let cool slightly before removing any meat from the bones. Return meat to stockpot, and discard bones and skin. Add additional leftover turkey meat, onion, celery, carrots, 2 Bay Leaves, fresh herbs, and more salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook soup over medium heat, occasionally skimming any fat from the top of the soup with a spoon. Make egg noodles as soup cooks. Add noodles when vegetables are tender.
To Make Egg Noodles:
Using a standing mixer,** place the flour and salt into the bottom of the bowl. Make a well in the center. Beat together the egg yolks, egg and water. Pour into the well. Using the paddle attachment, combine until mixture is well blended. Dough will need to be formed into a ball by hand and wrapped in plastic wrap to rest for about 10 minutes.
Remove dough from plastic wrap and cut into three equal pieces. Lightly dust each piece with all-purpose flour and roll to about 1/4-inch thickness. Using a pasta roller attachment set to the 1 setting, run the dough through. Adjust the setting to 2 and continue to make passes through the roller, adjusting to the 3, 4 and 5 settings. Lightly dust the dough with flour to eliminate any sticking. Remove pasta roller and replace with a pasta cutter attachment. Run the dough through the pasta cutter and cut to desired noodle length. Gently toss the cut noodles with more flour on a parchment lined baking sheet. Let rest for about 10-15 minutes. Repeat this with remaining two dough pieces.
When vegetables are tender, bring the soup to a boil. Add as many egg noodles as desired (about 1/3 to 1/2 of noodles). Cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with additional fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Notes
*Use any combination of your favorite dried herbs, including sage.
**Dough can be made by hand as well. You’ll need to roll the mixed and rested dough out on a floured surface to about 1/4 to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into 1/4 to 1/2-inch widths and dry/cook according to the recipe above.
IMNPB
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