We asked Los Angeles campus students to submit their original Thanksgiving recipes in a holiday contest, and Culinary Arts student Gabriella Russo contributed a balanced rendition of her family tradition.
My mother has always made a leftover turkey soup that used a traditional curry powder as its base and while always delicious, I couldn't help but notice that the curry overpowered the other components of the dish. So I decided to try my hand at revising and refining the recipe I grew up eating the day after Thanksgiving.
With the exception of vadouvan, the ingredients selected for this recipe were chosen because of their representation of a traditional Thanksgiving menu. I shifted the soup’s seasoning to vadouvan, curry's milder French cousin, which doesn’t overpower the more delicate flavors and instead complements and balances.
I also chose to puree the mirepoix and thicken the soup with potatoes for a texture reminiscent of a light gravy, brightened up by the addition of dry white wine. Essentially, this recipe is meant to represent Thanksgiving in a bowl, drawing inspiration from dishes that have graced our holiday tables for generations, presented with a little, modern twist.
Leftover Turkey Soup with Chanterelles and Vadouvan
Yields 6 servings
This soup is a refreshing departure from the typical flavor profiles associated with Thanksgiving and is a great way to make sure those leftovers don’t go to waste!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dry white wine (preferably Sancerre)
- 1/2 ounce dried chanterelle mushrooms
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons Vadouvan curry powder
- 1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
- 3 celery stalks, medium dice
- 2 medium carrots, medium dice
- 7 cups poultry stock (chicken, turkey or a combination)
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, large dice (if you have leftover mashed potatoes, you can substitute
- Leftover turkey meat (quantity depends on just how meaty you’d like your soup to be)
- 1/2 ounce clarified butter
- Microgreens for garnish
- Heavy cream, to taste
- Salt
- Pepper
Directions
- In a small pot, bring wine to a boil. Add dried chanterelles, cover and let rehydrate for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve wine.
- In an 8-quart pot, melt butter and toast 2 tablespoons vadouvan curry for approximately 3 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
- Add onion, celery and carrots. Sweat vegetables until softened. Add reserved wine and reduce until liquid is almost fully evaporated. Add stock, cover and simmer for 1 hour to allow flavors to come together.
- As soup is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook potatoes until fork tender. Strain and return to the pot while still hot to allow any residual moisture to evaporate. Pass potatoes through a food mill and reserve.
- Remove stock and vegetables from the heat and purée in a blender until smooth. Pass purée through a chinois to remove any remaining lumps. Return soup to pot, whisk in reserved potatoes and heat until steaming. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add turkey meat and allow it to warm.
- Meanwhile, sauté chanterelles in clarified butter until tender. Remove from heat and set on paper towels to absorb any excess butter.
- Ladle soup into warmed bowls and top with chanterelles and a drizzle or dots of cream. Sprinkle with toasted vadouvan and garnish with microgreens.
Follow Gabriella's recipe development @tinycasualchef, and learn more about soup and seasonal recipes in ICE's Culinary Arts program.