Terrific Turkey Soup with Lima Beans and Barley.

Terrific Turkey Soup with Lima Beans and Barley is our favorite after ~~Thanksgiving~~ ~~Christmas~~ any Roast Turkey dinner, soup! It is chock full of all the good things one needs on a cold winter's day. Rich bone broth, lots of veggies, and of course chunks of that delicious turkey from the day before...

We seem to live where there is extreme winter weather.

The first time I put this soup together was during our years on the upper peninsula in the state of Washington. Due to high winds, we had a power outage that lasted 8-10 hours. The sub-station was in need of repairs from the damage of a very large tree that had fallen, so no power was available until the repairs were made.

We were new residents at the time and still filled with the joys of summer beach living and had not yet settled into the winter weather that is also a part of living within hearing distance of the ocean waves. So it was not surprising that about 10 minutes into the peninsula-wide power outage, we learned of our true state of unpreparedness...in the beginning, it was quite romantic. We lit some oil lamps and did a bit of reading, thinking "oh, this won't last". But of course, it did last a long time, and at that time we did not have a source of backup heat...

Needless to say, we did learn along the way!

Suffice it to say that here in Montana we brought our "better to be over-prepared than not at all!" ways of living, with us. Our oil lamps are filled with lamp oil and the wicks are checked regularly. We have a small wood stove for heat, and I love that the root cellar is quite cold, to keep everything cold until power can be restored, should it go out. For long outages, we also have a small generator to help the freezer keep everything else frozen.

I bring this story of preparedness up because I was in the middle of making our annual Turkey Soup with Lima Beans and Barley is when the power went out! The bone stock had already simmered and I was ready to proceed with the rest of the recipe when the outage took place. Fortunately, it was easy to simply let it cool, put it in the root cellar and proceed the next day with making soup.

But first we make the stock.

Making stock of any kind is easy. But for the after ~~Thanksgiving~~ ~~Christmas~~ Roast Turkey Dinner, turkey carcass, you will want to do the following.

You will want to remove all the meat (and the stuffing if some is clinging to the bones). Cover and refrigerate for other uses, including some for the soup.
Second, depending upon the size of your slow cooker, you may need to break the ribcage bones to fit.
And third, cover the bones with water and simply let the whole thing simmer for 8-10 hours.

Once the stock has cooked drain it using a mesh strainer, into a large stockpot to make Terrific Turkey Soup with Lima Beans and Barley, on the stove.

I prefer using the stove for this recipe because it only takes as long as cooking the barley to make soup. But if you prefer, yes, the slow cooker would work great also! And like most soups, this soup will freeze perfectly. By the way, I love using the small white lima beans in soup, because no presoaking is needed.

The bonus? Having a meal of soup in the freezer will give you a day off later in the month for some bargain shopping, or just a relaxing visit with friends and family. Which I urge you to do because taking care of yourself with a little relaxation is also good for you! Serve with some whole grain bread, along with a fruit dessert and everyone (including you) will be filled with a delicious dinner.

Thoughts on this recipe:

You cannot make soup, wrong, including this one! Don't like carrots? no problem. Leave them out, or maybe add some peas.

If tomatoes are not your favorite, use only one can and add a bit more water, or honestly, a touch of white wine would be lovely.

Also, this recipe is so easy to break down into steps, perfect to complete as time allows over a couple of days.

Ingredients needed for this recipe:

turkey carcass stock
onion
celery
garlic
carrots
red potatoes
poultry seasoning
salt and pepper
canned tomatoes
red wine vinegar
reserved turkey meat
small white lima beans
barley

You will also need the following:

measuring spoons
measuring cups
cutting board
large kitchen knife
large stock-pot
kitchen spoon

Now we are ready to begin!

Turkey Soup with Lima Beans and Barley

Terrific Turkey Soup with Lima Beans and Barley
by the seat of my pants!

UPDATED: 12.26.2023

1 batch turkey stock - see above for details
1 onion, diced small

3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
4 ribs celery, diced small
4 carrots, diced into longer rectangles
2 red potatoes, diced in large pieces
1 t poultry seasoning
fresh ground pepper
2 c small white Lima beans
1/2 c barley

2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes, plus the water listed

2-3 c turkey - diced to be added at the end
2 T red wine vinegar
1 (scant) T salt
fresh ground pepper, if desired

Combine turkey stock, the diced, and cut up vegetables, seasonings, lima beans, and barley. Add the canned tomatoes plus a can of water.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until beans and barley are tender. You may make the recipe to this point, let it cool, and refrigerate until the next day if desired

Add the red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste, and finally, add the diced turkey. Serve.

Storage options for Terrific Turkey Soup with Lima Beans and Barley. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. Freeze for longer storage time. Allow the soup to thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

UPDATE: For your convenience, a "copy and paste" version of Terrific Turkey Soup with Lima Beans and Barley has been included below.