Ingredients
- 1 leftover roast turkey or chicken carcass, cut into rough chunks
- ~2 cups leftover roast turkey/chicken meat, in bite-sized pieces
- 1 package egg noodles
- 1 large onion (divided)
- 6 medium carrots (divided)
- 1 bunch celery (divided)
- 2 quarts low-sodium chicken/turkey stock
- 4 whole sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- ~20 whole black peppercorns
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp MSG (optional)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Pro tip: use a precooked rotisserie chicken and pick the meat off it, you will use about 1/3 of the meat for this soup, use the rest to make something else.
Note: you can omit the store-bought stock and use all water, but starting with a prepared stock is an easy trick to boost the flavor.
Directions
Prep veggies. Clean carrots and celery. Chop ~2 carrots and ~2 stalks celery into bite-size pieces and set aside for the final soup. Coarsely chop the remaining veggies for stock.
In a large heavy pot, add stock veggies and some oil and saute until lightly browned. Add bird carcass, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and garlic. Pour 2 cups of hot water + stock, which should cover everything with a bit to spare. Bring to a simmer for 2-3 hrs, stirring occasionally.
When stock is tasty, strain out solids and return to the pot. Season with msg, salt, and pepper to taste. Add in reserved vegetables and simmer until barely tender, about 20min. Add bird meat and noodles, then simmer until noodles are done, about 5 min. Use fewer noodles than you’d expect, they absorb a lot of water. Garnish with parsley and serve, preferably with fresh bread!