Actually Cream of Rotisserie Chicken Soup,

or Cream of Leftover Turkey Soup

Getting My Drift?!

I struck a long-term deal with my brother Jim, whose family does not eat dark meat from poultry. So every Thanksgiving I receive a turkey carcass and a bag of dark meat. As payback, I create a big batch of soup to share. Over these years I love making classic turkey noodle soup, but this year I wanted to return to my memories of Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup. There is almost enough turkey or chicken to scavenge on the carcass, so you get many dishes and bowls of poultry out of one bird! Check out my recipe for Chicken Marsala [or Turkey Marsala] for what to do with the other leftover meat.

“Cream” is actually from a roux—a mixture of fat and flour—which gives it body and lusciousness.

INGREDIENTS: Any white “meat” from land or sea will make a great creamy version

• butter – 1/2 cup
• flour – 1/2 cup
• onion – 2 cups, 1 large, thinly sliced
• celery – 1 cup, 2-3 ribs, thinly sliced
• carrot – 2 cups, thinly sliced
• herbs – 3 each of fresh parsley, thyme, and bay leaves, tied into a bundle
• stock – 6 cups, chicken or miso^
• sherry – 1/4 cup, [or marsala, or madeira]
• salt – 2 tsp
• pepper – 1/2 tsp
• turmeric – 1/2 tsp, [optional, for color]
• nutmeg – fresh, 1/8 tsp
• poultry – 3 cups, diced or shredded
• MSGª – 1 tsp [optional, explantation below]

GARNISH:

• cooked rice or noodles
• parsley – additional for garnish

NOTES:

I prefer to slice soup veggies rather than dice for a more elegant and a different look-feel.

^I sometimes use a light miso instead of bouillon or store bought prepared stocks. It’s quite easy and delicious in its own right. One teaspoon of miso per cup of water. Avoid the dark miso for this soup.

ªMSG goes through a lot of debate. This recipe is not going to entertain those issues. I am surprised how much flavor a tsp provides. Like all ingredients in a well-stocked pantry, I use a little bit of traditional ingredients and decide if it works. MSG, aka “Accent,” is the umami that our taste buds have come to know. I am shocked how much more flavor came out using it.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare the stock
2. In a soup pot heat the butter until melted and sprinkle in the flour while constantly stirring to completely dissolve. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture turns slightly darker
3. Add in veggies, and herbs and sauté for a few minutes to soften
4. Add stock and bring to a simmer
5. Add in the remaining ingredients except for the meat and parsley. Cook for 20 minutes—until the veggies are tender.
6. Add in the turkey and bring back to a simmer
7. Check for seasoning—old kitchen secret—if the soup tastes flat, add a TBS or so of vinegar to heighten the flavor. Add in 1 TBS increments and taste; don’t over use
8. Serve with parsley or other fresh herb

Recipe adapted by B. Hettig