TURKEY, WILD RICE AND BOURBON SOUP

Soup

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 8 oz mushrooms, diced (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup Bourbon (or more if you like)
• 6 cups turkey stock (or chicken stock)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2/3 cup wild rice (uncooked)
• 4 cups chopped (or shredded, I prefer) leftover turkey
• Salt and pepper
• Cranberries
• Chopped scallions

Turkey Broth (from carcass)

• 1 left-over turkey carcass
• 2 medium onions, unpeeled, chopped
• 4 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
• 4 stalks of celery, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• Handful fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• Salt
• Cold water

Soup

1. In a large stock pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes until onions are soft and translucent.
2. Add the mushrooms, garlic and thyme, cook about 5 minutes more. Add your bourbon, bring to a boil, turn heat to medium, let it reduce by 1/2.
3. Add the turkey stock, wild rice, bay leaf. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring soup to a boil. Turn heat back down to medium and let simmer for 35 minutes, covered.
4. Add turkey, salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes more. Taste for additional salt and pepper, which you will probably need.
5. Serve soup in large bowls and garnish with cranberries and chopped scallions.

Turkey Broth

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the carcass into smaller pieces.
2. In a large pot, add the carcass, vegetables, bay leaves, thyme, parsley and peppercorns. Season with salt. Cover with COLD water.
3. Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 2+ hours. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
4. Remove from the heat and strain.

Easy as that, now you can make your soup!