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Wednesday, October 2

The Best Turkey Soup + Cooking in Bulk

Hey friends! So I'm excited to accomplish two things with today's post; firstly I'm going to share the simple and easy recipe for my favorite turkey soup/ favorite soup in general. I made it a couple years ago for the first time after we had a turkey dinner in September to kick off Fall (typical 'what can I do with all this leftover turkey meat and delicious broth?' situation) and the fresh, unadulterated taste of the broth, veggies and meat together quickly made it a staple in the Meyers house. Take a look! 
The second thing I'm going to accomplish is in sharing how I cook soups in bulk and than easily portion out, freeze, and store them to eat many months later and have it taste like I just made it! I've talked about bulk cooking a couple times and I've been getting lots of requests for a 'How-To', so here it finally is! 
I have a really really hard time making something for dinner that will feel less than like 10+ people, because if I'm going through the trouble of making a big meal anyway's why not make lots of extra and then I'm taking care of lots of future meals! Like with this soup recipe for instance, it makes 8 quarts with each quart being a generous portion for my family with some fresh bread or salad on the side. so that's 8 meals! One more thing I wanna say before getting started is that because this recipe is for about 8 quarts of soup, make sure and check your pot size and the ingredient list before starting and for sure feel free to cut the recipe in half or quarters if you don't feel like making that much. :)

The Best Turkey Soup

Ingredients: (makes 8 quarts)
- 5 quarts (20 cups) turkey (or chicken) broth
- 8 carrots, chopped (6 cups)
4 medium russet potatoes, cubed (8 cups)
- 2 medium butternut squash, cubed (6 cups)
- 10 medium stalks of celery, split and chopped (4 cups)
- 1 large white or yellow onion, finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste (approx a couple teaspoons of both)
- 10-12 cups of cooked, chopped turkey (or chicken)

Method:

Step #1: Add your broth to your biggest pot and bring to a boil. Add in all your chopped veggies and bring back to a boil for 10-15 minutes or until your potatoes are fork tender. Sometime in those 10-15 minutes add in your salt and pepper and give it a good flavor taste. 
Step #2: Once your veggies are done, turn off the stove and remove the pot from the hot burner. Stir in your shredded/chopped turkey, and let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving to ensure the meat is all heated up. Give it one more flavor taste and add a little more salt and pepper if needed, and you're all done!

Side Note: I love making this with the leftovers from a big turkey dinner, because the broth is so rich and pure already and loaded with amazing flavor, but if you're making the broth from bullion etc then add in a couple tabs of butter, maybe some extra garlic and parsley and boil for 5-10 minutes before proceeding with the recipe:)


Now for the freezing and storing! Its really very simple and I've been doing it like this for years with no problems at all! I do it for every kind of soup, and even somr casseroles and things. I like using the quart freezer bags because they're thicker and tougher (longer lasting when I'm throwing stuff around the deep freeze), and also because a full quart is the perfect amount for a family meal.
Work over a counter or side sink because you're likely to drip or spill a bit. Have your bags out and labeled with the contents and date before you begin filling. Fill the bags to about 1 1/2 inches below the seal line and then zip them closed from one side to the other, making sure to expel all the air from the bag before it seals. 
stack up to 4 bags on top of each other in your freezer (preferably laying horizontal for better storage) and enjoy especially on those extra busy days:) To reheat again, simple cut the bag away and put the frozen block of soup in a lidded pot on medium/low heat, adding a bit of water to the bottom to prevent burning. Stir a couple times as it soften's, and once its all hot and steamy you're ready for dinner! Mmmmm...
Additional Notes: We've made this many times with after cooking a Chicken, and it still turns out fabulously. also I made it once using frozen chicken breast and canned broth mixed with chicken bullion (I was pretty desperate), and while it wasn't bad, the 'real' version is So Much Better! But while I may consider it a bit of an abomination, I understand if you don't feel like cooking a turkey or chicken just to make some soup:)

Also, feel free to add or subtract as far as veggies are concerned! We've played a lot with different things we had on hand and it all rounds out nicely, so if you aren't a fan of carrots per say or you happen to have loads of baby kale in your fridge, mess around and see what happens! Also make sure you come back and tell me just how much you and yours love it, and I'll be a happy woman:)

Thanks so much for visiting! See you again soon:)

xo, Emily 

9 comments:

  1. This looks so good. I love the idea of cooking in bulk.. -Hanna Lei

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  2. This soup looks delish. I cook in bulk like this too. Particularly with soup!

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  3. Soup is about the only food I'll freeze for later. I love the idea of cooking in bulk and freezing, but I'm always so disappointed in the flavor of meats/casseroles/etc. when they have been frozen. Soup, on the other hand . . . that always seems to improve with age! :) My mom makes a similar turkey soup with corn and pasta after Thanksgiving and it is so delicious.

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  4. This isn't my sort of soup but i was wondering what the best way to freeze soup was and this sounds like it. I shall try it next time i make a batch xxx

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  5. Is there anything you can't do?! I originally started following you for your fashion posts but I'm quickly learning how talented you are all the way around - this looks so good!

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  6. Hmm I've never tried turkey soup but it seems like a yummy alternative :)

    aclassystateofgrace.blogspot.com

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  7. This looks like a delicious fall and winter soup! I will have to try it!

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  8. Oh my goodness, I'm craving this so bad now! It looks absolutely yummylicious. Cooking in bulk is super smart as well- I never really thought to do that because I am too lazy (but it saves time in the long run so maybe I should consider it!) :)

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  9. This is what I'm going to make with the turkey bone broth I have in the crock pot right now. Sounds fantastic. Thanks for the share. :)

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