The long, heavy Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone and we can all let out a collected sigh of relief. I don’t know about you, but all that rich food makes me awfully sleepy. It was like we were in a cream- and butter-induced coma for three days.

Last night I cleared out the refrigerator and froze the leftover turkey, made a turkey pot pie (using the leftover mashed potatoes as a “crust”), and took the turkey carcass (throwing the scraps to my beloved dog) and started a soup.

In some ways making turkey broth is as sacred and delicious a part of the Thanksgiving ritual as cooking the bird itself. It signals the end of the holiday and the beginning of eating a bit more sensibly. It means we have a few weeks of “normal” life before the next bigger, better, even-more-intense holiday takes over.

Sorry, I’m getting carried away. About that turkey broth. I simmered the carcass with carrots, celery, onion, leek, and peppercorns and let it develop into a rich, fragrant broth. (It will take about 1.5 to 2 hours.) One of my favorite parts of the holidays is using that broth to make a Greek-style Turkey-Lemon-Rice Soup. This slightly thick, creamy soup (spiked with refreshing fresh lemon juice) uses leftover turkey, rice, and egg yolks (to thicken the soup) and lot of freshly ground black pepper. It will get you through the next few weeks as you gather strength for the rest of the holiday season!

Turkey Stock

Be sure to trim all the meat off your turkey carcass and either freeze it, make a pot pie, sandwiches, or a stir-fry. The stock can be placed in containers or tightly closed plastic bags and frozen for up to six months. Be sure to label the stock with the date you froze it.

Ingredients:

The carcass from 1 turkey, anywhere from 10 to 20 pounds

2 large onions, chopped

2 leeks, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

4 ribs celery, chopped

6 peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the turkey carcass in a large soup or stockpot and cover with about 10 to 12 cups cold water (the carcass should be almost fully covered with water so add more if you need to). Add the onions, leeks, carrots, celery, peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and let simmer, partially covered, for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the stock is really flavorful. If the stock still tastes weak, bring it to a rolling boil uncovered and let cook another 15 to 20 minutes until reduced and flavorful.

Let cool slightly, strain and use the stock for the soup. Freeze any remaining stock for another soup later this winter. Makes about 10 cups stock.

Greek-Style Turkey-Lemon Rice Soup

Ingredients:

8 cups turkey broth, or chicken broth

½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

2 cups cooked white rice, at room temperature

2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, chopped into small bite-size pieces

2 egg yolks

1/3 cup heavy cream, optional

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Juice from 2 lemons, or Meyer lemons, about ½ cup

1 lemon, preferably organic, scrubbed and cut into paper thin slices with the seeds removed

Place the turkey broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer over moderately-high heat. Add half the parsley and all of the thyme. Add the rice to the soup, making sure to break up any clumps. Add the turkey and simmer over very low heat.

In a small bowl whisk the egg yolks and cream (if using any) with a good amount of salt and pepper. Add about ½ cup of the hot broth to the bowl and whisk with the yolks. Add the yolks/broth back to the pot with the broth and whisk until fully incorporated. Add the lemon juice and season to taste. It is important that you don’t let the soup boil; if it does the egg yolk will cook and you simply want to whisk the soup back to smoothness. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed. Keep in mind that the longer the soup sits, the thicker it will become; add more broth if necessary.

Serve hot with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of parsley in each bowl. Serves 6 to 8.

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