Stating the obvious, of course, is soup.  But, I’m stuck.  I’ve been making the same old turkey soup with vegetables and egg noodles for years.  What else can I make with it?  My family likes my standard turkey soup, but I’m getting tired of it.  Just in case you are looking for a plain ol’ turkey soup, here’s my quick and easy method:

In large soup pot, pour in a little vegetable oil (just enough to coat the bottom of the pot), throw in some nice bite-size pieces of celery, salt and fresh ground pepper and let cook a little until celery just starts to soften.  Then throw in some cut up carrots, and let those cook just a minute or until they start to soften.  (Don’t use baby carrots; use the real full-grown ones, peeled and cut.  Baby carrots don’t have enough flavor to stand up to soup.)  Now add some diced onion and some minced garlic.  Continue to saute all these veggies until onion is just starting to get transparent.  Pour in your turkey stock, taste for seasonings, and add a little more salt and pepper if needed.  Cover loosely and let simmer.  Don’t let it boil!  Meanwhile, cook some egg noodles in another pot according to directions BUT do not cook until they are soft.  They should be a little undercooked as they will cook a bit in the soup. Drain the noodles and add them to the soup pot.  Stir everything together, simmer for about 3 – 4 minutes or just until the noodles are done cooking.  It’s soup time!

You’ll notice that measurements for the ingredients are nonexistent.  This is one of those “make it as you please” recipes.  If you like a lot of veggies in your soup, add a lot.  If you’re a noodle fanatic, add a lot of noodles. 

What I’m lacking here is variety and ingenuity.  I would love to try an Asian inspired dish, like “Hot and Sour” soup, which should hold up very well against a rich turkey stock.  I’d also like to find out if anyone has ever attempted an “Egg Drop” soup.  What about some unusual vegetables in a turkey soup?  Are there some Autumn vegetables that stand out and are a little more inspiring than celery and carrots?  Any ideas are welcome!