Turkey and Barley Soup, Stew?

Nooo...don't say it. I refuse to use that "combined term".

Sorry...it bugs me.

Lets just call this a thick soup. Cuz that's how I like my soup. Lots of stuff. I like the balance between broth and "stuff" to be a little more equal in volume.

And yes, this is the last of my turkey. I think after I made the soup (from my ooooh so good Turkey Stock) there was only enough turkey left to make 1 more sandwich. Go ahead....call it a sammy if it makes you feel better.

So I started off with a nice sized pot of stock

Funny thing about Turkey Stock...when it cools, it gels. Chicken stock doesn't. I guess turkey just likes to do it's own thing. It's a common occurrence and is considered to be a very good thing. As soon as you start heating it up, it will thin out right away.

And I do have a lot of this stuff so I divided into zip lock baggies and stuck it in the freezer.

Now back to my soup. I'll was going to try and give you amounts as we go along but it's such a personal thing. You add what you like and how much you want depending on you're own personal taste. So just use this as a guide line, no need to "stay within the lines" here.....feel free to go off roading. I think my soups are different each time I  make them. It all depends on what I have in the veggie drawer and what I'm in the mood for.

This time, besides the turkey (about a cup or more) and barley (about 1/2 cup dry barley) I added an onion, celery, carrot, a handful of green beans, a leek, a rutabaga and couple of mushrooms.

I always include barley and rutabaga's in my turkey soups. I love the flavors....I love the earthiness that the barley brings, and I just love rutabaga's...no other explanation.

Now, lemme show you a cool little trick I saw the other day on the Food Network. I think I was watching Michael Chiarello. Rinse your leek, slice it up and toss it into a bowl of cold water.

Let it float around while you chop and dice the rest of your veggies. Once that's all done, strain the leeks out of the water and look what's left behind!

Do you see the dirt in the bottom of that bowl? Yep.....leeks are a messy, dirty little veggy. And such a pain to wash. I just love this easy little trick. Now I'm not even worried about any possible dirt that may have been left behind that I had to pretend not to be thinking of cuz what I don't know won't hurt me. Now I can quit playing mind games with yourself. Woooo hooooo!!

Sooo, your stock is heating up. You should bring it to a boil. Then add your chopped veggies and barley....

and let it all simmer until everything is cooked through and the barley is cooked, about.....I dunno....45 minutes?

While that was cooking, I decided that a big pot of turkey soup needs a nice fresh sink-your-teeth-into-it type of bread.

I made a loaf from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day. Oh man....I love that book. It really does have wonderfully easy bread that is incredibly satisfying and yummy.

This was one of those loaves with the semi tough crust and the soft pillowy insides. mmmmm

Well...by now the soup is done. Oh I forgot...normally I taste the stock and see if I need to add any seasonings to it.

I forgot. I think the bread had me distracted.

But it's ok. It didn't need anything. I have to tell ya, this is the first time ever that I did not have to season up the stock (or broth) for my soup. It was good to go.

And it went....right into our little tummies.