The minute the guests are gone and the Thanksgiving dishes are done, my husband starts making another mess. We can’t go to bed until Doug’s turkey stock is on the stove. It bubbles, just barely, all night and is liquid gold by morning, intense and aromatic. You need great stock for Day-After-Thanksgiving Soup, which, to be honest, changes every year. It’s whatever we feel like adding to that incomparable broth—sometimes dumplings, sometimes matzo balls. This year’s version is tilting Mexican, with chickpeas, carrots, chipotle chile and queso fresco. Steam some tortillas and dinner’s done.

Day-After-Thanksgiving Soup

Substitute canned hominy, pinto beans or tubetti pasta for the chick peas, if you like.

• 1 large ripe tomato

• 1 large poblano chile

• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and thickly sliced crosswise

• 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican

• 2 carrots, sliced

• 2 quarts Doug’s All-Night Turkey Stock (see below)

• 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 2 small zucchini, diced

• 3 large chard leaves, ribs removed, sliced in ribbons

• 2 cups hand-shredded roast turkey

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

• Kosher or sea salt

• Chipotle chile en adobo, optional

• Queso fresco, crumbled

• Lime wedges

Preheat the broiler and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Put the whole tomato, poblano chile, sliced onion and garlic cloves on the baking sheet. Broil, turning with tongs as needed, until the vegetables are blackened in spots and softened. Peel the tomato, the chile and the garlic. Seed and dice the chile and set it aside. Put the tomato, onion and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. When hot, add the contents of the blender (be careful; it will splatter) and the oregano, crushing it between your fingers. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes to develop the flavor. Add the carrots and the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until the carrots are almost tender, about 10 minutes, then add the chickpeas, zucchini, chard and diced poblano. Simmer until the zucchini and chard are tender, about 5 minutes, then stir in the turkey and cilantro. Season with salt and stir in chipotle to taste.

Ladle into bowls, top generously with queso fresco and serve with lime wedges.
Serves 6

Doug’s All-Night Turkey Stock

Pull off and reserve any meat on the bones, but don’t pick the carcass clean. It’s good for the stock to leave a few meaty bits. If you roasted your turkey with stuffing, remove any trace of the stuffing. You can discard the skin or add a little of it to the stock. Doug likes to add it.

• 1 roast turkey carcass

• 3 celery ribs, chopped

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• Several sprigs of Italian parsley

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 dozen black peppercorns 

With a heavy knife or cleaver, chop the carcass into parts that will fit in a stockpot. Put them in the pot and add just enough cold water to cover, about 4 quarts. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, skimming any foam. Add the celery, carrots, onion, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns. Adjust the heat to maintain a slow bubble. The stock will have good flavor in 3 hours but we typically let it go all night, partially covered with a lid. Cool, then strain. Chill the stock as long as you can before making soup so you can skim fat from the surface.
Makes about 2 quarts