Delicious Turkey Soup with Deep-Fried Stuffing Balls

Use your turkey carcass and leftover stuffing from the holidays to make this delicious soup in a slow cooker, served with fried stuffing balls!

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 6 hr
• Total Time: 6 hr 30 mins
• Calories: 2681 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 4 cups vegetable oil
• 5 carrots, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 leftover turkey carcass with some meat attached
• 3 cups leftover prepared stuffing
• ⅓ cup fine bread crumbs

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat a slow cooker on High until hot. Stir in butter, followed by carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes.

Step 2

Stir the turkey carcass, chicken broth, thyme, sage, and bay leaf into the slow cooker. Reduce the heat to Low, cover, and cook until turkey meat is falling off the bones, about 6 hours.

Step 3

While the soup is cooking, make the stuffing balls. Roll the leftover stuffing into 2-inch balls. Place bread crumbs into a shallow dish and coat balls evenly in bread crumbs.

Step 4

Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 5

Fry stuffing balls in the hot oil until evenly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove stuffing balls with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Step 6

Discard the turkey bones from the soup. Serve with two stuffing balls in each bowl.