Recipe: Grandma’s Cream of Turkey Soup

Grandma’s Cream of Turkey Soup.

Grandma may be gone, but Grandma’s Cream of Turkey Soup lives on. It was one of the most popular items at Grandma’s Pies and Restaurant on Central Ave in Albany, and after the restaurant closed the Times Union published the recipe which had been shared by the owner back in 1990. I was initially skeptical because the veggies are added after the roux has been mixed rather than sweated with the butter, but turns out this gives it a pleasant fresh-veggie taste. Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:
2 quarts chicken or turkey stock
½ medium onion, about ¾ c, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, about ¾ c, diced
4 stalks celery, about 1 ½ c, diced
3 mushrooms, about ¾ c, sliced
6 oz cooked turkey, about 1 ½ c, chopped
6 T butter*
6 T flour*
½ c half-and-half (or ¼ c heavy cream and ¼ c whole milk)
Salt and pepper to taste

Photo borrowed from Grandma’s Yelp page.

Method: melt butter in a large saucepan and stir in flour. The flour should be completely absorbed with no wet spots, but not dry; add more flour or butter if needed. (And consider using additional flour and butter if you want a thicker soup.) Heat this roux over low to medium heat, stirring constantly, till it browns slightly and smells toasty, maybe 5 minutes. Stir in the stock a little at a time, blending or whisking to remove any lumps.

Add the veggies all at once and simmer for ½ hour, stirring frequently. Taste for seasoning; the amount of salt and pepper you add will depend on the stock you begin with. Add turkey and half-and-half and heat to just below the boiling point. Serve Grandma’s Cream of Turkey Soup immediately; if you have extra it can be reheated but not boiled as that will separate the dairy.

*This amount of roux will produce a soup which is viscous and full bodied but not thick. If you want a thicker soup increase the quantity of flour and butter while keeping proportions equal.