Turkey Soup by Chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California

Alice Waters, chef, author, and the proprietor of Chez Panisse, is an American pioneer of a culinary philosophy that maintains that cooking should be based on the finest and freshest seasonal ingredients that are produced sustainably and locally. She is a passionate advocate for a food economy that is “good, clean, and fair.” Over the course of nearly forty years, Chez Panisse has helped create a community of scores of local farmers and ranchers whose dedication to sustainable agriculture assures the restaurant a steady supply of fresh and pure ingredients.

Makes 3 quarts

This is the soup I make the day after Thanksgiving, but it can be made any time you have a roasted duck or chicken carcass and some leftover meat.

Ingredients

1 roasted turkey carcass
1 bunch lacinato kale, leaves torn from the stems and chopped coarse

For Stock:
1/2 onion, peeled
1/2 carrot, peeled
1/2 stalk celery
6 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
3 quarts water

For Soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil
Add and cook, over medium heat, until very tender:
1 1/2 onions, peeled and diced
1 1/2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 1/2 stalks celery, diced
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Pick all the meat from 1 roasted turkey carcass – coarsely chop and set aside. Break up the carcass and put in large stockpot with the Stock Ingredients.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, skim well, and cook for 2 hours. Meanwhile, heat, all of the Soup Ingredients in a large soup pot.
3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add Kale.
4. Cook until tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Place a colander over the pot of diced vegetables and strain the turkey stock directly into the soup pot. Add the turkey meat and kale, taste for seasoning and serve hot.

Variations:
• Sautéed mushrooms (porcini are my favorite) added just before serving give a luxurious flavor and texture to this humble soup.
• Some of the kale can be sautéed with garlic and hot pepper and floated atop the soup on a slice of toasted bread.
• Add cooked rice or pasta just before serving.
• Fry a little diced pancetta in the soup pot before adding the diced vegetables

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