Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Family Favorites

Day-After-Thanksgiving Turkey Rice Soup

Cooker: Large round or oval
 
Settings and cook times: Stock, HIGH for 2 hours, then LOW for 8 to 10
hours; Soup, LOW for 6 to 8 hours
Serves 8.
 
For the stock:
1 roasted turkey carcass with some meat left on, broken up, including the
wings and skin
 
1 large yellow onion, quartered
 
1 large leek (white part only) halved lengthwise, washed well and cut into
chunks
 
4 stalks celery with leaves, plus the heart, cut into chunks
 
6 springs fresh parsley or cilantro, with stems
 
1 tsp crumbled dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
 
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
 
Concentrated chicken bouillon, added per package directions
 
Salt to taste
 
For the soup:
1 large onion, finely chopped
 
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
 
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
 
6 oz white mushrooms, quartered
 
1 cup frozen baby limas, thawed
 
One 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
 
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
 
1/3 cup converted rice or wild rice
 
4 cups cooked leftover turkey meat (about 1 pound), cut into bite-sized
pieces
 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
 
1. Place the broken-up turkey carcass, vegetables, herbs, and peppercorns in
the slow cooker. Measure water by the cupful to cover everything about 4
inches, but do not fill the cooker over three-fourths full to allow for
bubbling up. Add 1 teaspoon bouillon for every cup of water. Cover and cook
on HIGH for 2 hours, until hot. Skim off any surface foam with a large
spoon. Reduce the heat to LOW and simmer 8 to 10 hours. If the water cooks
down below the level of the ingredients, add a bit more boiling water.
 
2. Uncover and let cool to lukewarm. Set a large colander or strained lined
with a double layer of cheesecloth over a large bowl and pour the broth
through to strain. Press the vegetables to extract all the liquid. Discard
the vegetables, bones, skin and meat. Taste for salt, if desired, or leave
unsalted. Let cool and refrigerate overnight.
 
3. When cold, skim the congealed fat from the surface of the broth, if any.
If not using right away, divide the stock into airtight plastic freezer
storage containers, leaving 2 inches at the top to allow for expansion in
the freezer. The stock is ready for use and can be refrigerated up to 2 days
or frozen 3 to 4 months. Makes about 3 quarts.
 
4. To make the soup, place the stock in the slow cooker and set to HIGH to
heat it up. Add all of the vegetables, tomatoes, parsley, and rice. Cover
and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
 
5. Add the turkey meat and let heat for 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning and
serve big bowlfuls.
 
Excerpted from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Family Favorites, by Beth
Hensperger. (c) 2009, used by permission of the Harvard Common Press
http://www.harvardcommonpress.com