I’m not sure what kind of Thanksgiving you have planned (traditional? carb laden?), but this warm and light soup will be perfect for the next day. Use the turkey bones to simmer a rich homemade stock all day, then shred up some leftover turkey and kale to make this easy soup. Scallions are not on our harvest list this late in the season, so pick them up if you can. Don’t skip the lime on top and add as much chili sauce as you like.
What makes pho is the spiced broth. It’s easy to make at home, and if bulk spices are available at your grocery store you can pick these up for next to nothing. Dry toast star anise, clove, coriander seeds, and a cinnamon stick then steep them in broth with fresh local ginger. (we got ours from Good Life Farm)
Once the broth is strained the turkey, kale, and noodles cook in minutes. Look for flat rice noodles that cook or soak quickly. Adjust the cooking time based on the noodle cooking time.
Turkey & Kale Pho serves 4, adapted from Food52
6 -8 cups homemade turkey stock (or homemade or store-bought chicken stock)
1 bunch green onions, green & white sections thinly sliced, green ends cut into 3 inch pieces
1 3-inch chunk of ginger, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 cups kale, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 cups leftover turkey, shredded
8 oz package flat rice noodles
1 lime, cut into wedges
Sriracha chili sauce to taste
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
4 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
Toast the spices in a dry skillet over medium heat. Remove from pan when fragrant, about 3 minutes. Place the turkey stock, spices, fish sauce, brown sugar, and ginger in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain broth and return to pot. Taste and add more sugar or fish sauce if necessary.
Return pot to a simmer, add turkey, green onion tops, and kale. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes until kale has softened. Add noodles and soak or cook according to package directions.
Ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with lime wedges and slice green and white scallions. Serve with sriracha hot sauce.
