Turkey Bone Broth Made into Soup – A Full Meal!

Copyright@2018 Elizabeth Anthony Gronert, Your Comfort For Life

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Thanks to close friends (who happen to be wise Functional Medicine Professionals), my soup making skills moved from being tasty to not only great tasting but offering a bounty of health benefits. Grateful for the experience and generosity of my friends Tiffany Hinton, GF Mom Certified and Elyse Wagner, My Kitchen Shrink for your directions, patience and personal testimony. Tiffany Hinton has been an invaluable health coach and resource for our family. She has walked with me daily and introduced me to the world where "food is medicine". Tiffany encouraged me to read many books. One of the first books I read was written by Dr. Terry Wahls, The Wahl’s Protocol. I found Dr. Wahls book easy to read, enjoyed her story telling skills and have found the wisdom she shares a big influence on the way I shop and cook for our family's health. First, when you offer our delicious bone broth soup to a family member or friends – DON’T TELL THEM IT IS BONE BROTH. Too many people have had a stinky or distasteful adventure with bone broth and they will decline you. Just offer them some yummy, homemade soup. Wait till they have declared how good it is and ask for more….then tell them how it is not only delightful to eat but it blesses the body with all kinds of health goodness! Our bone broth recipes are far more than just great soup! These recipes will share with you how we make incredibly nourishing, healing, restorative bone broth meals. Bone broth meals help people be in their very best health. If you have some health issues, it is a gentle, simple place to start turning your health around! Bone broth has been shown to help people with leaky gut, gut ulcers, sensitivities and reduce systemic inflammation - an important every day therapy for anyone but especially valuable for anyone fighting an injury, disease or autoimmune battle! I enjoy 8-16 ounces every day – especially when I travel (I pack frozen BPA-free plastic containers in my checked baggage!)

This recipe with picture tutorials will show you how to use the "after Thanksgiving" Turkey carcass. Something I used to just throw in the trash! I am amazed by the abundance of nourishment and food that this offers to everyone – I frequently tell people that my secret to making great, nourishing soup is simply “garbage!” At Thanksgiving we usually smoke a turkey, bake at least one turkey and sometimes grill a turkey breast (with the bones of course!) In this photo you will see the start of our Turkey Bone Broth. Here are all the carcasses covered by filtered water in a huge stock pot (using filtered water prevents having chemicals like fluoride and chlorine in your food!)

Living in Chicago during the winter, we do not have fresh herbs to pick outside. Thanks to my husband, Kris who installed a grow light by our sliding glass doors, our family has the benefit of fresh herbs, greens and vegetables growing indoors. From this garden, I have added freshly picked organic parsley, thyme, sage. I also added chopped organic garlic, sea salt and organic pepper to the pot. Dr. Wahl’s book will educate you on why organ meat is an invaluable way to boost nutrition and it was something that in our not so far away past, people used every little bit of the animals they used for nourishment – no waste of our precious resources. Plus, you will learn why having animals that are antibiotic, hormone and grain free is so important. If your turkey did not come with its heart, liver and gizzards – many grocery stores or butchers offer additional turkey parts around the October-December months. Otherwise, you can use Chicken innards which are available year-round.

Whenever possible, we purchase or grow organic produce. When something starts to go soft, where it may not be enjoyed fresh anymore, I place in a BPA-free container or freezer bag - then place in our freezer. In addition, I collect the stems, leaves and even the roots of some of the organic plants (primarily my Brussel Sprouts!) we have in our garden. (Please check online to be

sure the leaves and stem of the plant you are harvesting are safe/nourishing to eat!) I use these vegetables in the "cook down" of the carcasses. We can add these vegetables right away to enhance the flavor of the remaining meat on the bones. Some may prefer to wait till after the meat is collected (after 2 hours of cooking) which does make the process easier. When I have the time, I feel the flavor and nutrition added to the meat, is worth the extra work later when collecting the meat. (On busy days – I recommend waiting to put the veggies in after the meat is cooked, removed from the carcass and stored.)

From our organic Brussel sprout plants outdoors, I snipped off the top and added the leaves and stems with some tiny Brussel Sprouts! (I love these fresh leaves basted in ghee with garlic, too!)

You can add any vegetables from your freezer or fridge that need to be used (another reason I call this broth garbage soup!) Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for two hours.

sure the leaves and stem of the plant you are harvesting are safe/nourishing to eat!) I use these vegetables in the "cook down" of the carcasses. We can add these vegetables right away to enhance the flavor of the remaining meat on the bones. Some may prefer to wait till after the meat is collected (after 2 hours of cooking) which does make the process easier. When I have the time, I feel the flavor and nutrition added to the meat, is worth the extra work later when collecting the meat. (On busy days – I recommend waiting to put the veggies in after the meat is cooked, removed from the carcass and stored.)

From our organic Brussel sprout plants outdoors, I snipped off the top and added the leaves and stems with some tiny Brussel Sprouts! (I love these fresh leaves basted in ghee with garlic, too!)

You can add any vegetables from your freezer or fridge that need to be used (another reason I call this broth garbage soup!) Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for two hours.

After two hours of simmering, the meat should be starting to fall off the bone. (If it feels like it will be still difficult to remove – let it cook for another 10-20 minutes till it is simple to separate from the bones.) Use large, long tongs to grab the carcasses, fallen meat and bones – place on a cutting board (I use a cutting board that has a “moat”, so any juices get collected before spilling onto the counter. I also only use plastic cutting boards that can be cleaned and sanitized in my dishwasher. (Unfortunately, wood surfaces allow everything to soak in and there is no “sure” way to sanitize/disinfect. Check out my article on Kitchen Hygiene on our website.) After pulling out the carcasses, it might be easier to use a colander to separate solids from liquids.

Now the true “work” of making bone broth soup with poultry! I wear plastic surgical gloves and scour the carcass for meat. All scraps, cartilage, bones and any veggies that stuck to the carcass go back into the stock pot to simmer for six to eight hours. Cut the edible meat into soup size chunks then place in a container in the refrigerator. The meat will be added back to the completed soup/meal when it is ready – may be the next day when cooking in a traditional soup pot. Refer to the Instant Pot directions for smaller quantities and quicker cooking times! Most people don't realize how much meat they throw away with the carcass! Look at all the meat recovered from the turkey carcasses! This is the bits and pieces that remain after these turkeys had been completely “carved” for the Thanksgiving meal.

*Our family preference is to limit total cooking time in a traditional soup pot to ten hours or less. We have found that if it cooks longer than 10 hours. (We don’t like the way it smells.) I

absolutely find 8-10 hours for poultry bones has been plenty of time to reap amazing health benefits! Let the hot stock pot cool for a bit after the eight hours of cook down before handling. Place an empty large stock pot in the sink with a colander on top (the pot under the colander must be large enough to catch all the liquid from the stock pot that has been cooking.) Carefully pour the contents through the strainer - the remaining bones, organ meat and vegetable parts will be caught by the colander with the nutrient dense bone broth going through into the pot below. (Some people place a cheese cloth in the colander to remove any small bits and pieces.) Throw the cooked down bones, skin, cartilage and veggies caught in the colander away in a safe container that animals cannot get into. Poultry bones can be life threatening if eaten by pets and wild animals!

Refrigerate the pot of bone broth till cold – many times I place in the fridge overnight. Most broths when refrigerated get a layer of heavy fat at the top - it is especially thick with turkey bone broth. While cold, the fat is easily scooped away with a spatula or flat spoon. DO NOT put this fat down your drain – it will harden and block up your pipes! Place the fat in a container you can dispose of in the trash. I keep this lard for turkey gravy. My Sauce/Gravy Recipe Book is underway! I do feel that turkey fat is too “fragrant” (compared to chicken lard) to use as a fat for other cooking.

This turkey bone broth is ready to use for sauces, gravies, cooking vegetables, potatoes, rice, quinoa or making soups.

To save broth for later use - you have a few options. I freeze the broth one cup at a time in freezer bags. Plus, I place broth in ice cube trays. Once frozen you can place the cubes in a freezer container. Simply add a cube or two when making veggies, potatoes, rice, quinoa or other side dish to boost nourishment! The broth can be canned if you know the proper sterilization procedures. Bone broth made this way adds wonderful flavor and loads of nutrition to your meal.

We make two different soups from Turkey Bone Broth - Turkey White Chili and Turkey Vegetable! The soups keep getting tastier and more nutritious every year as I continue my education!

Turkey Bone Broth White Chili Recipe (using Elizabeth’s Turkey Bone Broth) INGREDIENTS

• turkey meat gleaned from carcass (1½ pounds ground turkey is another option)

• 2 (4 ounce) cans canned green chili peppers, chopped (I use food processor)

• Organic ground or chopped garlic and onions to taste

• 1-2 tablespoon organic ground cumin

• 1-2 tablespoon organic dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon + 1 tsp sea salt (modify this according to your salt requirements – especially if you are using a store bought broth)

• Organic ground white pepper to taste (1 tsp) (I do ½ black, ½ white)

• I use 3 beans: Cannellini, Navy Beans, Great Northern white bean 1-2 lbs. (soak beans while cooking down the turkey carcass for bone broth) You may also use canned

• Turkey bone broth from cooking Turkey carcass for 10 hours with vegetables (you may use boxed or canned Turkey Bone Broth instead)

• Organic Carrots – food processor

• Organic Celery – food processor

• Organic Parsley – chopped/food processor

• Optional - ground cayenne pepper to taste (1/2-1 tsp) (For those who want more “heat”)

Drain the soaked beans. Then cover the beans with the turkey broth – the beans should have 1/3 to ½ more liquid in the pot than beans (liquid to cover additional veggies, and meat.) We enjoy a thicker soup. I puree 1-2 cups of the beans then add to broth to make the soup thicker and creamier.

Place the veggies into the food processor and coarse chop (you can chop by hand too!) Our family just adds green chilies, parsley, carrots and celery in this soup. Cook them to the almost desired doneness. Add the reserved turkey meat and seasonings to taste. Cook for a few minutes to let the flavors brew. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. This soup always seems to taste best after a day of rest in the refrigerator.

Making this soup is usually a 2-day process for me - bone broth and soak beans on the first day. Day Two we make the soup, filling containers and store.

Turkey Bone Broth Vegetable Soup Recipe (using Elizabeth’s Turkey Bone Broth) INGREDIENTS

• turkey meat gleaned from carcass (1½ pounds ground turkey is another option)

• 1 tablespoon + 1 tsp sea salt (modify this according to your salt requirements – especially if you are using a store-bought broth)

• ground white pepper to taste (1 tsp) (I do ½ black pepper, ½ white pepper)

• Turkey bone broth from cooking Turkey carcass for 10 hours with vegetables (you may use boxed or canned Turkey Bone Broth instead)

• Organic Carrots – food processor

• Organic Celery – food processor

• Organic ground or chopped garlic and onions

• Organic Greens like Kale, Spinach, Micronutrients or Sprouts – these don’t need a lot of cooking time and need only a little chopping

• Any leftover vegetables in refrigerator – food processor

• Organic Parsley and any other Herbs you enjoy (Sage, Thyme) – chopped/food processor

• 1-2 Bay Leaves (depends how much soup you are making!)

We place the veggies into the food processor and coarse chop. You can chop all the vegetables by hand if bigger chunks are preferred. This soup is never the same each time I make it because it is influenced by whatever veggies need to be used in the fridge! (Garbage Vegetable Soup!) Cook the vegetables to the almost desired doneness. Add the reserved turkey meat and seasonings to taste. Cook for a few minutes to let the flavors brew. Taste and add more seasoning if needed – we like to use fresh and powdered garlic. Soup always seems to taste best after a day of rest in the refrigerator.