Smoked turkey thigh borscht
On cold days, a pot of smoked turkey thigh borscht is something I truly appreciate. I especially love the slightly smoky smell that lingers in the kitchen when I boil the thighs. It's the kind of hearty soup that doesn't need anything else on the side. I make it more often than I thought, especially in winter or when I have fresh homemade borscht. Quick Info Total time: about 2 hours Preparation time: 20-30 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour – 1 hour and a half Servings: 6-8 Difficulty: easy Recipe type: hearty soup, suitable for family meals or when you need something warm and filling Ingredients 2 smoked turkey thighs 2 white onions 1 green bell pepper 1 red bell pepper 2 carrots 1 parsley root 1/2 celery (root) 100 g homemade noodles 200 ml homemade borscht Salt Pepper 1 bunch of fresh lovage Preparation method 1. Start with the smoked turkey thighs. Place them in a large pot with cold water, enough to cover them well. Leave them over medium heat until they start to boil. Skim off the foam that forms on the surface with a slotted spoon to keep the broth clear. 2. While the meat is boiling, clean and wash all the vegetables. Chop the onion finely, and dice the carrots, parsley root, celery, and bell peppers. I like to cut them as evenly as possible so they cook uniformly. 3. After about an hour, the meat should be well cooked. Check if it easily pulls away from the bone. If so, remove the thighs from the pot onto a plate. 4. In the remaining broth, add all the chopped vegetables. Let them boil over medium heat for about 20-25 minutes until softened. 5. In the meantime, debone the meat. Remove it from the bones and tear or cut it into smaller pieces. If there are parts with a lot of skin or sinew, I don't use them. 6. When the vegetables are cooked, add the turkey meat back and the homemade noodles. Let everything boil together for another 3 minutes. Homemade noodles don’t need much time. 7. Pour in the homemade borscht, adjust with salt and pepper to taste. If the borscht isn’t very sour, I sometimes add a little more. Let it come to a boil for no more than 2-3 minutes to blend the flavors. 8. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the chopped lovage on top. I like to add it right at the end for the aroma. Why I make the recipe often It’s a hearty borscht that fills you up and is practical if you have smoked turkey. It doesn’t require complicated ingredients and can be prepared in one pot, which helps with washing dishes. The smoked meat gives all the flavor, I don’t need to add anything extra. Tips and variations Tips - Use homemade borscht for a more authentic taste. If you don’t have it, you can use store-bought, but the taste may be blander. - Skim the meat as needed, especially at the beginning. The broth stays clear. - If you don’t have homemade noodles, you can use store-bought, but be careful with the cooking time – some cook very quickly. Substitutions - You can replace the parsley root with parsnip if you can’t find it. - Homemade noodles can be replaced with short vermicelli or even omitted if you prefer a lighter borscht. - Borscht can be replaced with lemon juice, but the final taste will be different. Variations - If you don’t want to use borscht, you can sour the soup with sauerkraut juice, but I haven’t done that with the smoked turkey version. - For an extra touch of greenery, you can add parsley leaves at the end, although lovage is the best match for borschts. Serving ideas - Serve hot, with fresh bread or hot peppers, if you like. - For those who want, it can also be served with a little sour cream, although I usually don’t add it to borschts with smoked meat. Frequently asked questions 1. Can I use another part of smoked turkey, not just thighs? Yes, wings work too, but thighs provide more meat and flavor. 2. Can I use store-bought borscht? Yes, but adjust the quantity based on how sour it is and try to choose a borscht without strong preservatives. 3. What if I don’t have lovage? The borscht will be fine without it, but the specific flavor is lost. You can use parsley, but it’s not the same. 4. Can I put the noodles directly without boiling them separately? Yes, they can be added directly to the soup and cook quickly, about 3 minutes, if they are fresh or thin. 5. How long should the vegetables boil so they aren’t too soft? From my experience, about 20-25 minutes is sufficient over medium heat. Depending on the size of the cubes, check the texture. Nutritional values Estimate for one serving (out of 8): approximately 220-250 kcal Protein: 20-23 g Fat: 8-10 g Carbohydrates: 18-22 g Values vary depending on how much meat and noodles you actually put in each plate and how fatty the turkey meat used is. Homemade borscht and vegetables don’t add many calories. Storage and reheating The borscht keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you know you won’t eat it all at once, you can leave the noodles aside and boil only as much as you eat on the spot, so they don’t swell too much during storage. Reheat on low heat, not in the microwave, so the noodles don’t disintegrate. I don’t recommend freezing, as the smoked meat and noodles change texture.
Preparation
In a pot, smoked turkey thighs are boiled. They are left to boil until the meat separates from the bones. The foam is skimmed off with a ladle. Meanwhile, the vegetables are cleaned and washed. The onion is finely chopped, the carrots, parsley, and celery are diced, and the peppers are cut into cubes. When the meat is cooked, it is removed from the bones, and the vegetables are added to the pot to boil. The meat is shredded into smaller pieces. When the vegetables are cooked, the shredded meat and noodles are added and left to boil for another 3 minutes, then borscht, salt, and pepper are added, and it is brought to a boil. Chopped fresh lovage is sprinkled on top and served hot.
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