Our First Thanksgiving Soup

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for a variety of reasons.  I love the lack of material expectations and the opportunity to express gratitude for the amazing life we’ve been given.  I love, too, the food aspect that is such a part of Thanksgiving traditions. 

Our daughter married into a delightful, very Sicilian family. She was shocked at their first Thanksgiving as a married couple to discover that Italians consider lasagna, antipasto, and all things Italian the go-to Thanksgiving meal.  In the family she grew up in, however, Thanksgiving dinner always included turkey, dressing, and all of the side dishes that go with a traditional Thanksgiving meal. There are always days’ worth of leftovers to consume.

A few years ago Marci, our kitchen manager, who is the main reason the Coffee Pot Bakery Café is even on the map, developed a new recipe that we weren’t so sure about. She made a vegetable based soup with a rich turkey broth. So far, so good.  Next, she made “Stuffing Balls” out of the left over stuffing from one of our Comfort Food Fridays.  She crisped them up so that they would stay firm in the soup, and served up our first Thanksgiving Soup.  I’m still not fond of stuffing in any form, but I’m in the vast minority.  Thanksgiving Soup is one of our customer favorites any time of the year.

It is one of those soups that you can make at home with your Thanksgiving leftovers. You start with a turkey vegetable soup recipe and add “Stuffing Balls.”  It’s a great meal to put together for Black Friday, because you can put it in a crockpot and leave it until the afternoon and return home to the wonderful fragrance of soup cooking.  It’s also perfect because you can use the leftovers but it’s a totally different meal, so you won’t get the “Leftovers AGAIN?” complaint.  If making soup isn’t your thing, come on out to the Coffee Pot and pick up a quart to go.  Add some rolls, and put together a quick, delicious meal.  Done!  Now you have time to play some games with your family or watch a holiday movie together.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! 
-Jennie Lockie

Enjoy making this soup with your holiday leftovers. Thanksgiving Soup Recipe