Turkey Vegetable Noodle Soup

OK, I know I should be posting all things Thanksgiving, but I still have yet to clear my refrigerator of the leftovers so I am not really in the mood to talk Turkey. (But, when the butter infused stomachache subsides, I promise I will have some great new things to share)

No, instead I am going to share a few soup recipes. It is about to be cold here in Houston, OK, not for long I am sure, but soup is always in order when its cold. Truthfully, soup is always in order in my kitchen.

To say that I love soup would be an understatement. I love a warm rich broth and lots of vegetables.
I have so many soup recipes I could start a blog just about soup. In my early days of cooking I always used canned broth, then I graduated to bullion cubes, on to organic chicken broth. The organic broth far surpasses any other kinds of broth that you can buy commercially. I was satisfied with the results the store bought broth produced until I started making my own broth. There is really no comparison at all. My mother, also an intense lover of soup, has always made her own broth. No matter what kind of bird we made she always made a quick broth and froze it if we were not making soup that day. I highly recommend making your own broth whenever humanly possible.

I usually do a combination of broth and water, because I don't always have enough broth. Water is a perfectly acceptable substitute if you have some homemade broth, or even the store bought options. I would not recommend making it all broth because soup cooks away so much liquid, it really is a waste.

This recipe is very good. It is the perfect vegetable soup. Not to difficult, and the results are stomach warming. This is a great recipe to make if you want to take something to a friend that has had a baby, or if someone is sick. It is the perfect sharing meal. And, it is the perfect meal to eat at home. Kids love it, or at least mine love it. I encourage you to add whatever vegetables your family enjoys eating.

Turkey Vegetable Noodle Soup

3 Turkey Legs
4 Cups chicken broth
4 Cups of water
1 Onion- cut in half and peeled
3 large garlic clove - peeled
2 Lemons
3 bay leaves
1-tablespoon course salt
2 tablespoons Olive oil
3 Leeks – trimmed, green stems cut vertically, white bulbs cut horizontal in strings. Separate into 2 stacks.
3 carrots- chopped
2 celery stalks- chopped
½ cups of whole wheat past noodles
4-5 fresh basil leaves- cut into ribbons
2 springs fresh thyme
2 teaspoons oregano
*you could use herbs de provence in place of the fresh herbs

In large Dutch oven put in turkey legs, onion, garlic, lemon, salt and bay leaves. Fill pot to almost top with broth & water. Bring to a boil. When water is at a boil, turn down to med. Heat and let it cook at a light boil for about 1 ½ hours, or until turkey is cooked through.
Strain broth into another pot or Tupper wear, set broth aside. Discard onions, lemons, and bay leaves. Pick turkey meat off the bone cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
In Dutch oven heat olive oil. Add carrots and celery. Sauté for about 7 min. Add white part of leeks and all herbs, continue to sauté for about 3 min. or until the leeks start to turn a clear color. Add green stems of the leeks and sauté for another 3-5 min.*