I have a confession to make. Although I've lived in this country since 1989 I never cooked a turkey in my life until yesterday. I'm talking, not ever--ever. I've managed to dodge turkey cooking by shamelessly inviting myself over to friends' homes year after year. I love cooking, but I've always been intimidated by the concept of cooking a 20-lb bird, especially one that starts off rock-solid frozen and has to thaw out for days. At the peak of my turkey cooking anxiety (which spanned a good three to four years) I simply traveled out of the country over Thanksgiving break to avoid the task.
And then, my life changed. This amazing man came into my life and asked me to marry him, and with him came two awesome little boys as part of the package. So facing the inevitable and impending reality of having to cook a family-style Thanksgiving dinner for the first time this year, I decided to finally tackle my turkey cooking fears head-on, once and for all. Turns out I'd been making much ado about nothing, and the turkey came out just fine.
The challenge then became what to do with all the leftovers, while not having to change out of my sweatpants to go buy groceries on Black Friday. Even with what random things I had in my pantry and fridge, I must say this turned out to be one damn good tasty soup--and it was super easy to make. If you also have an endless tupperware tub of turkey in your fridge and are tired of making sandwiches with it, read on for the recipe!
For 4 generous bowl servings, you will need:
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups sliced carrots (I used baby carrots)
About 2 cups of dark shredded turkey meat (thighs, wings, drumsticks work best)
6-7 cups chicken stock
1 slice of fresh ginger root, about 1/4-inch thick
2 bay leaves
14 oz. can of cut green beans, drained
1 cup small pasta (orzo or stars work well)
Juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil, sea salt, pepper, dried oregano
Using a large enough pot to contain all the ingredients listed above, heat up about 4 tbsp. olive oil and saute the onion until translucent. Add the minced garlic, stir, and saute for about a minute. Then, add the carrots, stirring and cooking for about another 4-5 minutes.
Next, add the shredded turkey, followed by the chicken stock, the ginger "medallion", and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes on medium-low heat.
OPTIONAL STEP:
In addition to the ginger and bay leaf, I also tossed in some dried oregano and a dash of my favorite Goya Adobo seasoning--but you can use any other brand you might have on hand, like Mrs. Dash or whatever other all-purpose seasoning that suits your taste.
Next, add the cut green beans and the pasta. Bring back to a gentle boil.
Once the pasta is fully cooked, remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste, give it a good stir, and serve. (But remember to pick out the ginger and the bay leaves first!) Happy Thanksgiving Leftovers Week!
