After the Thanksgiving feast, take an extra few minutes to toss the turkey carcass into a soup pot with a few vegetables. You'll be rewarded with a rich broth that can be used in this delicious soup with airy herb-flecked dumplings.
For the turkey broth
2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, cut into quarters
2 dried bay leaves
1 cup dry white wine
1 roasted turkey carcass, broken in half, plus any leftover bones
For the soup
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
4 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 medium parsnips, quartered lengthwise, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups small-diced celery root
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 dried bay leaf
3 cups medium-diced roast turkey
2 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves (ribs removed)
For the dumplings
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter
2 tsp. kosher salt
3-3/8 oz. (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
Make the broth
In a 10-quart pot, combine the carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, wine, carcass, and bones. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the broth is rich and flavorful, 4 to 6 hours. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and discard the solids. Let cool; then skim off and discard the fat on the surface. The broth may be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Make the soup
Heat the oil in a heavy-duty 6- to 8-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, and celery root and cook until the vegetables start to color, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the tomatoes, wine, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add 2 quarts of the turkey broth and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the turkey and Swiss chard and simmer until the chard is wilted, about 5 minutes. (The soup may be cooled and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to a simmer before continuing.)
Make the dumpling batter
In a 3-quart saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water and the butter and salt to a boil over medium heat. When the butter melts, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour until thoroughly combined. Return the pan to medium heat and stir until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Scrape the dough into a large bowl. With a sturdy wooden spoon, beat in the eggs, one by one, until the batter is smooth. Fold in the chopped herbs. (The batter may be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)
Finish the soup with the dumplings
Using two 1/2-teaspoon measures, drop spoonfuls of batter into the simmering soup until all of the batter is used. After the dumplings rise to the top, cover the pan and steam the dumplings until they have puffed up to double their size, about 4 minutes. Serve hot.
