If you’ve ever wondered what to do with those turkey legs after a successful hunt—or if you’re just craving a homemade soup—this recipe that Kokanee Quinn found is your new best friend. It starts with a turkey stock slow-cooked for hours until the meat falls from the bone and the kitchen smells like heaven. From there, the stock becomes the base for a turkey and rice soup so good it ought to come with a warning label. Here is a recipe that is worth trying:
Ingredients for Turkey stock. Makes 4.5 quarts of rich and flavorful stock.
- 2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 wild turkey legs, feet removed
- 2 celery stalks cut in chunks
- 3 carrots cut in chunks
- 8 oz of dry white wine
- peppercorns (12)
- large handful of thyme and parsley
- Put the turkey legs in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add all other ingredients. Add enough water to fill your slow cooker (I have a fairly large All Clad). I do not add salt at this stage. You can do that in the final recipe.
Cook for 13 hours. Strain the stock through a collander. Discard the veggies and reserve the meat, which will literally fall off the bones. Discard the copius amounts of bones and cartilage. Inspect the meat for shot. I use non-lead for this reason. Reserve the meat for tacos, carnitas, barbeque or other recipes. This meat will be very dry due to the long cook. your dog will love it, if you do not. Do not add it to the soup. Use some of your previously uncooked turkey breast for this purpose;
Ingredients for Wild Turkey and Rice Soup…To Die for!
The meat proportions can vary, as well as the meats. You are looking for about 2 pounds total.
2 qts of wild turkey stock
1/2 wild turkey breast cut into cutlets, pounded thin, and cut into 1- inch cubes
2 smoked pork chops (could use chopped ham) cut into small cubes
3 stalks of celery chopped
3-5 medium carrots chopped
8 oz of cremini mushrooms
1 TSP of Penzeys poultry seasoning ( or more to taste)
8 oz of dry white wine
2 TBSP olive oil
large bunch of fresh parsley
3/4 cup of rice. I like Rice Select Royal blend as it has a variety of rice, including wild rice.
salt and pepper to taste
Cut the turkey breast into cutlets and use you meat mallet to pound until thin and tender. then cut into small pieces. Do not skip this step or your soup will have rubbery chunks of meat. Also debone the smoked pork chops and cut into small pieces. Save the bones of making other meat stock.
Heat the olive in a Dutch oven. Brown the meat. Add the muchrooms, onions, celery, and carrots. Stir until the vegetables begin to sweat.
Next add the stock and wine. This is a god time to add a tsp of poultry seasoning and perhaps 1/8 tsp of black pepper. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the rice, depending on how thick you like your soup. Bring to a boil and boil for a few minutes. Then cover and rduce the heat. Simmer until the veggies are tender. I wait to add salt until the soup is nearly ready as the smoked pork will add salt to the soup. Then add salt to taste…likely about 1tsp.
Add a dollop of sour cream. Serve with crusty bread.
