Gifts of Food
Here are some tips for preparing, delivering and receiving food during today’s difficult times:
NEIGHBORLY GOODNESS - Soup is always a good idea as a food gift—especially for those neighbors who live alone. Who would not like a cup or bowl of homemade soup on a dreary winter day? In fact, soup may be the most widely available prepared food—an item being offered in virtually every culture throughout the world. Combining a variety of ingredients into a pot of boiling liquid is not only quite simple but also healthy and tasty, creating flavor well beyond the individual ingredients. The following recipe is a twist on the ubiquitous chicken noodle soup substituting leftover turkey from a holiday meal and very flexible for adding in whatever additional ingredients are available.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 ribs celery with leaves, finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped, +2 carrots sliced at a diagonal
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 12 cups homemade turkey stock and/or chicken stock (homemade or from Red Hog)
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 12 ounces egg noodles, preferably extra-thick kluski from Lotsa Pasta
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
- 3 cups shredded roasted turkey, preferably dark meat
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and 2 finely chopped carrots; sauté for about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring to avoid burning the garlic.
Add the turkey or chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and remaining carrots. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat slightly and allow the soup to boil slowly until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Taste broth and season further to desired taste.
Stir in the egg noodles and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and turkey and cook an additional 5 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves and serve soup immediately. Best served with a baguette from Blue Dog Bakery. Leftovers can be stored, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 4 days or frozen. Prior to reheating, add additional turkey or chicken stock as needed to thin.
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