Hearty Barley Turkey Soup
Turkey barley soup is a comfort food favorite that stretches your Thanksgiving turkey into another delicious meal. The turkey carcass is simmered to create a rich homemade turkey stock that forms the base of this delicious soup, loaded with nourishing barley, vegetables, and mushrooms.
Ingredients
Turkey Stock:
- 5 quarts water or as needed
- 1 turkey carcass
- 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped carrot
- 3 stalks celery cut in half
- 10 whole black peppercorns
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 pinch dried thyme or to taste
Soup:
- 1 ½ pounds carrots cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 medium onions diced
- 6 stalks celery cut into ½-inch slices
- 1 cup barley
- ½ cup chopped mushrooms
- 2 large bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons salt Optional
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pinch dried thyme
Instructions
- Gather all stock and soup ingredients.
- To make the turkey stock: Combine 5 quarts water and turkey carcass in a large stockpot over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Add onion, carrot, celery, peppercorns, bay leaf, and thyme. Reduce the heat and simmer, skimming excess fat and foam from the surface as needed and adding more water as it evaporates, for 2 to 2 ½ hours.
- Remove carcass to a cutting board and cool. Strain stock; discard solids and return liquid to the pot.
- Pull meat from cooled carcass and discard bones. Shred meat and refrigerate until needed.
- Make the soup: Add carrots, onions, celery, barley, mushrooms, bay leaves, salt, marjoram, pepper, and thyme to stock; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until barley is fully cooked, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
- Return shredded turkey to the soup; simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve.
Notes
Cook’s Note
If you brined your turkey, use less salt than called for in the recipe.