One Perfect Bite: Leftover Turkey? Try Asian-Style Turkey Noodle Soup

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Leftover Turkey? Try Asian-Style Turkey Noodle Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you make a traditional holiday meal, chances are you'll have leftovers and need a plan for handling the remains of the day. I've been working on a group of recipes that I hope will help you put those leftovers to good use. The first of them is a new version of turkey soup that was developed by Dabney Gough for Fine Cooking magazine. Now I don't want to gush or be overly effusive. We are, after all, dealing with leftovers, but this Asian-inspired soup is a wonderful way to use them. It is delicious, low in fat and very easy to make. I've made the soup twice since I found the recipe. Once with turkey, once with a rotisserie chicken and the recipe works well with either type of poultry. Glass noodles are made from mung bean starch and they become translucent, like cellophane, when they are cooked. If you are not able to buy them in your local supermarket, rice vermicelli can be substituted. If you enjoy a steaming bowl of Hawaiian Long Rice, you will love this soup. It is hearty enough for lunch or a light supper and it is perfect way to use up some of that leftover turkey. Here's how the soup is made.

Asian-Style Turkey Noodle Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Dabney Gough and Fine Cooking magazine

Ingredients:
4 ounces thin uncooked glass noodles or rice vermicelli
4 cups lower-salt chicken or turkey broth
3 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 2-inch-long piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced, slices mashed
1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce; more for serving
1 medium head bok choy (about 8 oz.), sliced 1/4-inch thick crosswise (about 3 cups)
2 cups coarsely shredded cooked turkey or chicken
2 scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced

Directions:
1) Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot tap water; let soak while preparing other ingredients.
2) Bring broth, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and discard garlic and ginger.
3) Add glass noodles or vermicelli to broth and cook until nearly transparent, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, distribute noodles among 4 bowls.
4) Add bok choy to broth and cook, uncovered, just until the white parts start to become tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bok choy and distribute among bowls.
5) Add turkey to broth and simmer just until heated through, about 30 seconds. Distribute turkey and broth among bowls. Top with scallions. Pass soy sauce at table if desired. Yield: 4 servings.