Simmering the your leftover Thanksgiving turkey carcass for 4 hours results in a full-bodied, fragrant broth, which becomes the base of this flavorul soup.
Make the broth
Rinse and dry the neck and giblets. Heat the oil in an 8-quart stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the neck and giblets and brown well on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, and onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the parsley stems, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, carcass and aromatics, and vermouth and cook for 2 minutes. Barely cover the solids with water (you’ll need about 1 gallon) and reduce the heat to medium. Slowly bring to a simmer, skimming any scum that rises to the surface—this will take about 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot partially, and simmer very slowly—just lazy bubbles—for 4 hours.
Strain the broth through a colander and then again through a fine strainer. Pour the strained broth into a large saucepan and boil until reduced to 9 cups. Remove from the heat and cool at room temperature for about an hour; refrigerate overnight. Skim off the fat before using.
Make the soup
Heat a 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, carrot, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in the escarole and season with 1/2 tsp. salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer while you cook the rice.
Bring a 3-quart saucepan of well-salted water to a boil. Stir in the rice. Boil, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 14 minutes.
Drain the rice and add it to the soup along with the turkey and lemon juice. Simmer just to heat the turkey, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt. Sprinkle each serving with grated pecorino.
Make Ahead Tips
The turkey broth will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.
Photo: Scott Phillips
