Easy Turkey and Dumpling Soup

Easy Turkey and Dumplings Soup
(I can't remember where I found this, but it is quite yummy! The flavor is rich and creamy and worth the effort!  You make a thicker soup with flour and cream and add dumplings and it's just wonderful!)

  We have made it a tradition to cook a turkey breast on the barbeque every Conference week-end.  The last two I decided to cook the carcass down and make a broth with water, celery, onion, and carrots.  Then discard the vegetables, take the meat off the bone and when the broth is cool, skim the fat off.  My husband smokes the turkey with wood chips and boy it really have an amazing flavor! 

 Now with this amazing broth,

here is the soup recipe:

  5 c. turkey broth

 turkey from the bone, and some of the leftovers (hopefully you have some )

  5 Tbsp. unsalted butter,

  4 carrots peeled and sliced to 1/4 in thick,

  1 large onion, chopped fine, 

  2 stalks celery, 

  3/4 c. sliced mushrooms 

  1 tsp. salt 

  1 tsp. celery salt

  garlic salt to taste

  3 garlic cloves, minced

  6 Tbsp. flour

  3/4 c. cooking sherry

  1/3 c. heavy cream

  1/2 tsp. dried thyme

  2 bay leaves

  1/2 tsp. pepper.

 For the stew: 

 put 5 Tbsp. butter in dutch oven, when melted, add 4 carrots, 1 onion,  and 

 3/4c. sliced mushrooms, 2 stalks sliced celery, 1 tsp salt, cook until softened,  about 7 minutes.

 Stir in 3 cloves garlic, and cook until fragrant about 30 sec.

 Stir in 6 Tbsp flour, and cook, stirring frequently for 1 min. 

 Stir in 3/4c. cooking Sherry,  scraping up browned bits.

  Stir in reserved broth

 1/3c. heavy cream

 1/2tsp. thyme

 2 bay leaves

 1/2 tsp pepper and bring to a boil. 

 Cover reduce heat to low and simmer until stew thickens, about 20 min.

   For the Dumplings: 

 Stir 2 c. flour,

 1 Tbsp. baking powder,

 1/2 tsp. salt in large bowl. 

 Stir in 1 1/2 c. heavy cream until well mixed, the dough will be thick and shaggy.

  To finish:  Throw away bay leaves and return stew to a rapid simmer.  Shred reserved turkey and add to stew .   Using 2 large soup spoons or small ice cream scoop,  or cookie scoop ( these grow), drop into stew about 1/4" apart --makes 16 to 18 dumplings,  reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until they have doubled in size, 15 to 18 min.  Can make ahead to step 2, then continue when ready to make.   Enjoy!