Easy Greek Leftover Turkey Avgolemono Soup
Is there a better way to make good use of leftover turkey bones than soup? My Easy Greek Leftover Turkey Avgolemono is a great recipe for bone-chilling November weather and a wonderful way to breathe new life into something most of us are apt to discard – the turkey carcass. A little extra virgin Greek olive oil and the creamy combination of eggs and lemon juice to make the classic Greek avgolemono give leftover turkey a bright new future! Perfect for that lazy Sunday after Thanksgiving!
Ingredients
- 1 turkey carcass
- 2 large carrots peeled and halved
- 3 celery stalks trimmed and halved
- 1 onion peeled and whole
- 10 parsley sprigs chopped
- ½ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
- 1 leek trimmed and chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ⅔ cup small or medium-grain rice
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Clean as much as you can off the turkey carcass and use it to make a great sandwich or an exceptional Greek leftover turkey salad!
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Place the turkey carcass, carrots, celery stalks, onion and parsley in a large soup pot with at least 2 ½ quarts of water, or enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat, and simmer,covered, for about two hours, until the aroma of the stock permeates the kitchen (!). Remove from heat and carefully strain out the solids by pouring the hot stock through a colander into a large bowl or another pot.
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Let the solids cool. Clean off whatever meat is salvageable from the carcass, and collect whatever meat may have fallen off the bone while simmering the carcass. Set this aside until ready to use.
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Measure out the stock. You should have at least 8 cups of liquid. Using that same pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat and cook the leek until soft and glistening. Stir in the garlic and turkey shreds. Pour the strained turkey stock into the pot. Bring to a simmer and add the rice. Cook over gentle heat until the rice is tender, about a half hour. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
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Toward the end of the simmering, whisk the egg yolks and egg in a medium bowl until thick and frothy. Slowly add the lemon juice, whisking all the while, until the mixture turns pale yellow and creamy.
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Turn off the heat on the soup. Take a ladleful at a time, avoiding to get any solids into the ladle, and very slowly drizzle the hot soup broth into the egg-lemon mixture, whisking vigorously. Repeat this 4 to 5 more times. Pour the avgolemono into the pot and swirl it around to mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.
Love chicken? Check out my online class “Wing It! – Great Mediterranean Chicken!“
Love soup? Check out my online class “Comfort in a Soup Bowl!”
