{It’s Soup Season} Turkey Noodle (of course)

December 1, 2014

Written by Marykate O’Malley, mother of three wonderful children, Gladwyne PA

I am certain, like me, your fridge is exploding with leftovers. If I eat one more high fat, high carb meal …. honestly it’s gross. I couldn’t take it anymore and tossed a lot today (and I really hate throwing out anything) the marshmallow brown sugar with a smidgen of sweet potatoes went and I cried when I discarded of the stuffing and green bean casserole with very little green and a whole lot of casserole. No one was eating it but me and that needed to be addressed. Health to me is so much about how I feel. And I wasn’t feeling so good. The turkey remains because it is healthy. The one thing I don’t eat – of course.

Turkey, what to do with all of it….

I made a huge pot of turkey noodle soup today and froze half of it. I do most of my cooking on Sundays and love to freeze things for another time. I usually double recipes and freeze half, serve half. It is so great being able to pull something out of the freezer that is healthy and made with loving care by yours truly. The turkey noodle soup will come in handy the next time we get a round of colds which we are currently fighting off.

I used this recipe I found on the foodnetwork and modified it to appeal to the sensitive palettes of my children. Which means no peas, no leeks. You know, green.

Voila!

Turkey Soup with Egg Noodles

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 to 4 cups leftover cooked turkey, shredded or cubed
2 to 3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces uncooked egg noodles
1 cup frozen green peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Heat oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, garlic, and celery and saute 4 minutes, until soft. Add turkey, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and black pepper and stir to mix well. Add chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Return mixture to a boil and add egg noodles. Cook 10 minutes, until egg noodles are just tender. Stir in peas and cook until peas are just heated through, about 1 minute.

Remove from heat, discard bay leaves and stir in parsley.

Enjoy!