POST THANKSGIVING SOUPS

The highlight of any post-Thanksgiving meal is the opportunity to make soup out of the turkey carcass. So many choices, so little time. This year, we decided to make a Portuguese-style soup, with Kale, White beans and spicy sausage. Usually I use chorizo or linguica, but I decided to use spicy turkey sausage instead.

TURKEY SOUP WITH KALE, WHITE BEANS AND SPICY SAUSAGES

1 turkey carcass (left over from Thanksgiving), broken up to fit in a stockpot

Water to cover

3 Tbsp. chicken soup powder

1 large onion, peeled

1 bunch kale, cleans and chopped

2 cans cannelli beans, drained

5 spicy sausages, sliced and cooked in saucepan until cooked through

1 tsp coriander

Ground pepper, to taste

Place in stockpot. Bring to boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove bones and strip off meat. Add to pot and discard bones.

Add kale, sausages, cannelli beans. Cook at low heat for 15 minutes. Serve.

Since we ended up with excess sweet potatoes (like a dozen extra), Sherry made a sweet potato soup, which lasted us the rest of the week.

SWEET POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:

5 sweet potatoes

4 cans chicken stock

1 bunch swiss chard

1 Tbsp. chopped garlic

Olive oil

1 package lamb/duck/andouille sausages, sliced

1. Cut 4 sweet potatoes into small chunks.

2. Add 3 cans of chicken stock to stockpot. Add sweet potatoes, bring to boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until soft.

3. In separate saucepan, sauté 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic in olive oil. Add one bunch chopped swiss chard (thoroughly washed of dirt) and sauté until wilted.

4. In another saucepan, add sliced duck/lamb/andouille sausages and cook until cooked through.

5. When sweet potatoes are soft, puree in blender. Return to pot. Add chard and sausages. Add ½ tsp nutmeg, mace, coriander, cardamom.

6. Serve!!!!