Soup-er Sunday: Turkey Barley Soup

I made this soup after Christmas. We had turkey leftovers I didn’t want to go to waste. This is easily my favorite recipe. Leftovers were even better than the day it cooked. It freezes great. And it made enough to share with my parents and Christian’s mom.

Go make a turkey. And then make this soup!

Turkey Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 11-12 cups turkey stock
• 3 cups celery, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 8-9 medium carrots, shredded (about 4 cups total)
• 1 large potato, peeled and shredded
• 2-4 cups cooked turkey
• 1 cup barley, rinsed
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper
• fresh sage, chopped*
• fresh rosemary, chopped*
• fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Add the turkey stock, celery, onions, and thyme to a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low and simmer covered for about a half hour, or until the celery is tender.
2. Use a food processor or cheese grater to shred the carrots and potato. Add to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer, covered for another half hour, or until the carrots are tender.
3. Add the turkey (however much you want) and the rinsed barley. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low. Simmer for another 45-60 minutes, or until the barley is tender.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (How much you need will really depend on how salty your stock is.)
5. Just before serving, stir in chopped sage and rosemary. (look for the photo below to see how much I used.)

A slow cooker version of the recipe can be found on The Food Charlatan as well.