Cream of Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

1. First, you will need to make your bone broth (or buy broth from the store). I shamelessly cheat on this task, as, traditionally, it should simmer for 24 hours! I don’t know about you, but I definitely don’t have that kind of time, and I’m not leaving my stove-top on while I’m sleeping. What I do is throw all of the bones from a leftover turkey into a large stockpot, fill it 2 inches from the top with water, and then simmer it for 2-3 hours (be sure not to boil or you will get cloudy broth), adding water as needed if the water level gets low. I then turn off the burner, let it come to room temperature, and plop it into the fridge with the lid on, bones still in, for 24-36 hours. When I’m ready to use the broth it is gelatinous, so I heat it on the stove until it becomes liquid again and then strain the juices through a fine mesh colander, removing the bones. Viola! It’s ready to use!

2. Add the celery and onions into the bottom of a large stock pot with the butter. Heat for approximately 3 minutes on medium heat. I don’t allow the vegetables to cook too much, because I want them to retain their integrity and add texture to the soup.

3. Pour the flour into the pot and mix with the buttery vegetable mixture, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes, allowing the flour to have some time to cook.

4. Begin adding the broth, 1 cup at a time for the first 4 cups. After adding each cup, stir frequently until well combined with the flour before adding the next cup. After you have done this with the first 4 cups, you can turn the burner to medium-high heat, add the remainder of the broth and the water, and then bring it to a gentle boil.

5. Add the rice and carrots to the pot and when the soup begins to boil turn the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the carrots are fork-tender.

6. Stir in the turkey, parsley, salt, and pepper to taste, and then your soup is ready to serve.