turkey barley soup

mmmm, my house smells a little like christmas.

we're going away for the next two weeks, and i've been frantically cooking and freezing food we can take with us so we don't get trapped eating out for two weeks straight!  i've also been trying to use up all the bits and pieces of vegetables so we don't leave anything behind to spoil.  so the other day i made turkey stock from the other half of the christmas turkey bones that have been taking up space in my freezer, and today i'm turning that stock into turkey barley soup.  i made some of this at christmas too and, though simple, it has been a wonderful comfort food to pull out of the freezer over the last month.  i'm looking forward to having some more!


Turkey Barley Soup
prep time: 30mins  cook time:  45mins
serves 4-6

3-4 cups turkey stock
2-3 cups water
1/2 cup barley, rinsed well
1 cup leftover turkey, diced - i had closer to 2 cups, so our soup will be a bit more meaty!
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 cup snow peas, diced - add whatever vegetable you want here - this was just what we had on hand.  mushrooms are especially good with barley!
sprinkle of rosemary
sprinkle of sea salt
1/2 tsp or less olive oil

in a soup pot, saute onion, garlic, and celery in olive oil with rosemary and sea salt until the vegetables are softened.  add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  reduce to simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until the barley and vegetables are tender.  enjoy!


How to make Turkey or Chicken Stock:

8 cups of water
1 turkey or chicken carcass (or 1/2 if it's really big)
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 medium carrots, chopped
2-3 medium stalks of celery, chopped
2 leeks, white parts only, rinsed well and chopped - i didn't have any this time, but they're good
1/2 tsp each rosemary and thyme - or some poultry seasoning, or whatever you like
1 bay leaf
a few whole peppercorns
a sprinkle of sea salt

add all the ingredients to a large stock pot and mix well.  bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  cook on low for 2 hours or until the bones fall apart easily.

strain the stock into a large bowl and put in the fridge overnight.  the next morning, skim the layer of fat off the top.

once the bones cool, remove any meat and set aside for future soup making adventures.

for the super-frugal:  separate the cooked vegetables from the bones and blend them in a blender or with a hand blender.  add a bit of the stock until you get a consistency you like.  grate some cheese over top and enjoy a small bowl of vegetable soup!