We are one day away from Thanksgiving week, yet we already have our tree up. What can I say- the kids were whining about it and they were willing to do the work. Even though the ornament arrangement is far from even, I'm choosing to not care. It's a beautiful thing when you can put your feet up and have your children do the work.
As for T-day itself, what's the bigger draw: The turkey meal or the turkey leftovers?
I mean, let's be real- anyone who's going to go to the trouble of making a whole dang turkey should have some leftovers recipes up their sleeves. I made this soup in advance to prove its worthiness for your leftover turkey. OH IT'S GOOD. One of the beautiful things about soup is that you can really wing it with the amounts- like carrots? Add more. Have some corn you want to toss in? Do it. Want less celery? I'm not here to judge. You do you. But do yourself a favor and try this.
Ultimate Turkey Wild Rice Soup
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
~1 cup mashed potatoes
-1 1/2 cups raw carrots, sliced*
-1 cup raw celery, sliced
-1 small yellow onion, diced
-2ish cups turkey, diced
-1 cup pre-cooked wild rice
-1/2 teaspoon pepper
In a large pot over medium heat, bring broth + bay leaf to a simmer. If you're absent-minded like me, you can let this simmer for a good 30 minutes. When you remember you were making soup, go ahead and whisk in the mashed potatoes. Add the carrots, celery, onions, turkey, wild rice, and pepper. Let simmer for 30 more minutes or until veggies are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving. If you'd like a thicker soup, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water, then pour mixture into the soup. Stir well- the mixture will slightly thicken up quickly. Serve!
*If you have leftover cooked carrots you want to use, add them as the last step.
Makes four large portions. Per serving: 300 calories, 24 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 6 grams fat, 41 grams protein, 1089 mg sodium.