Leftovers Soup

WHAT'S COOKING: Every year I make Turkey Soup from the turkey carcass. It's usually a simple vegetable based soup - celery, onion, garlic, carrots - cooked in turkey broth and with bits of turkey meat added. But this year simply by a chance leftover cup of sweet potatoes from making a sweet potato pie, I came up with what may well be the best soup I've ever made. Warm, hearty, rich but still light in calories. And, of course, with a twist!

HARDY WINTER SOUP WITH A TWIST(serves 4)

8 cups turkey broth
1/2 onion, diced
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes (plain)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp Thyme (I used fresh)
1/2 tsp Poultry Seasoning
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Put olive oil in a large pot and add vegetables, cook until onion is translucent.

Add turkey broth, thyme, poultry seasoning. Bring to a simmer and simmer for a few hours until carrots are soft and tender.

Add mashed sweet potatoes (I think pumpkin puree would work here too). Using blender (hold cloth over top when blending hot ingredients!) or immersion blender, blend soup mixture until smooth. Add heavy cream, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper, and stir well.

Now here's the twist (optional, but we really enjoyed the addition). I added about 8 frozen ravioli (2 per serving). I cooked them in boiling water per bag instructions, drained, then added them directly to the soup. I happened to use beef, but either beef or cheese would be great. You could also use a cheese stuffed tortellini, or any other stuffed pasta you have.

I'm so sorry there's no picture but it wasn't until we sat down to eat that I realized how extraordinary this soup is! It was gone before I thought to take pictures. I'll be making it again soon and will add pics then!

If you make turkey broth from your turkey carcass, this soup is truly frugal. I estimate the cost to be about $1.75 for the entire pot of soup, including ravioli! That's about .44 cents per serving! Serve it with either a batch of cornbread or a pan of biscuits, and it's a wonderful, hardy cold weather meal.

WHAT'S THE PLAN: Well, whatever the plan was this week has gone down the tubes with the arrival of a serious winter cold. I'll be down and out for at least two days (that's probably wishful thinking but that's what I'm hoping for). Since it's Cyber Monday, I'll spend the day on the computer seeing what deals are out there. I only have a few things left to get, so it would be nice to find deals on those items. I also want to get to a few local stores this week to do some shopping.

WHAT I LOVE: I mentioned an Immersion Blender or Hand Blender in my soup recipe above. Do you have one of these? I absolutely love mine! I use it mostly for soups - to make them smooth and creamy just using vegetables. We eat a LOT of soup here in the winter so I use this hand blender frequently. I've also used it to make baby food, to smooth out applesauce, in ham and lentil soup, for a quick small amount of whipped cream, and more. It's really a handy gadget! Here's the one I have: