Turkey Soup with Dill, Parsley, and Chive Dumplings

Serves 6

To learn more, read:
Cook Once/Eat Twice: The Ultimate Roast Turkey
by Maria Helm Sinskey
from Fine Cooking
Issue 107
Last Edit Date: 12/3/2010 5:53:34 PM

After the Thanksgiving feast, take an extra few minutes to toss the turkey carcass into a soup pot with a few vegetables. You'll be rewarded with a rich broth that can be used in this delicious soup with airy herb-flecked dumplings.

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For the turkey broth

2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, cut into quarters
2 dried bay leaves
1 cup dry white wine
1 roasted turkey carcass, broken in half, plus any leftover bones

For the soup

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
4 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 medium parsnips, quartered lengthwise, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups small-diced celery root
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 dried bay leaf
3 cups medium-diced roast turkey
2 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves (ribs removed)

For the dumplings

3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter
2 tsp. kosher salt
3-3/8 oz. (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. chopped fresh chives

Make the broth

In a 10-quart pot, combine the carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, wine, carcass, and bones. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the broth is rich and flavorful, 4 to 6 hours. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and discard the solids. Let cool; then skim off and discard the fat on the surface. The broth may be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Make the soup

Heat the oil in a heavy-duty 6- to 8-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, and celery root and cook until the vegetables start to color, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes, wine, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add 2 quarts of the turkey broth and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the turkey and Swiss chard and simmer until the chard is wilted, about 5 minutes. (The soup may be cooled and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to a simmer before continuing.)

Make the dumpling batter

In a 3-quart saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water and the butter and salt to a boil over medium heat. When the butter melts, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour until thoroughly combined. Return the pan to medium heat and stir until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Scrape the dough into a large bowl. With a sturdy wooden spoon, beat in the eggs, one by one, until the batter is smooth. Fold in the chopped herbs. (The batter may be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

Finish the soup with the dumplings

Using two 1/2-teaspoon measures, drop spoonfuls of batter into the simmering soup until all of the batter is used. After the dumplings rise to the top, cover the pan and steam the dumplings until they have puffed up to double their size, about 4 minutes. Serve hot.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 530; Fat (g): 26; Fat Calories (kcal): 230; Saturated Fat (g): 11; Protein (g): 27; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 10; Carbohydrates (g): 44; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3; Sodium (mg): 1360; Cholesterol (mg): 180; Fiber (g): 7;

Photo: Scott Phillips

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by Nora_K, 12/14/2010My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe. I didn't use a turkey carcass but instead used frozen Thanksgiving leftovers I figured we wouldn't likely get to. That said, there was one drumstick, two whole wings and a lot of skin that went into the broth. For the life of me, I couldn't find celery root so just used chopped celery. A decent amount of sea salt and lots of fresh ground black pepper went into it also. The broth was prepared a day before finishing the soup. The dumplings really shine in this recipe! The soup complimented them perfectly. Its pretty simple to follow, easy to make, tastes delicious, and is a great way to use up those Thanksgiving leftovers. I'll definitely be making this again next time my hubby and I decide to bake a turkey.

by n1cf2, 11/20/2010Very tasty - everyone loved it. Agree with others... the dumplings are the star in this recipe. The soup was good, but not outstanding. Perhaps it was intentional to tone down the soup in order to to showcase the dumplings.

by babs97, 11/9/2010Before trying this recipe, I had never simmered a turkey/chicken carcass for more than 2 hours. Consider me a convert! I was AMAZED at the depth of flavour that resulted from those extra hours in the pot. And yes, the dumplings were fantastic (I was able to use all fresh herbs). I had to force myself to be patient and allow them to fluff up properly. 100% will make this again!

by Lilia37, 10/29/2010Absolutely wonderful and will definitely be making it again. I made the turkey stock one day (let it simmer for 6 hours) and then the next day I made the soup. I had 2 turkey carcasses to work with but I didn't quite double the stock recipe (I did a 1 1/2 thing). Like the other reviewer mentioned, those dumplings really make this soup. I didn't have any dill (dried or fresh), I ended up using parsley, thyme and sage. A real chilly weather treat.

by rootiblueeyes, 10/19/2010This is definitely a "make againer". The soup by itself is intentionally mild, but the addition of the herb dumplings (mixed like cream puffs) puts it over the top with flavor. I had fresh chives and parsley from the garden, but used dill I had dried, and as I don't often measure, I probably used more herbs than the recipe called for. I substituted organic chicken broth for the stock as I had leftover roast turkey in the freezer, but no carcass to cook down. We will definitely look forward to making this soup again after Thanksgiving, and next time I will make my own turkey stock.