The big question after Thanksgiving is always what to make with the leftovers. Growing up, we always spent Thanksgiving in Milwaukee and the Friday after, we always had turkey sandwiches on little potato buns with crunchy lettuce and a bit of mayo. While sandwiches are fine and often appreciated, this year I wanted to do something a little different and I finally wanted to tackle something I’ve been putting off for the last year: noodles from scratch.

My noodles need some work, these were more like dumplings, but I did what I could without a rolling pin and I promise you next time they’ll look more like noodles. If you don’t feel like making your own noodles, you could always just add 2-3 cups cooked whole grain noodles right before serving.

The best thing about soup is that it easily freezes – meaning I can wait to eat it until I feel like turkey again – in March.

Turkey Noodle Soup - about 6 servings

• entire leftover turkey (I removed most of the meat – you’ll be surprised by how much falls off when making the broth)
• 2 white onions
• 4 stalks of celery, chopped
• 5 large carrots, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt, pepper, 1/2 tsp sage, 1/2 tsp parsley and 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups shredded turkey
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg + 1/2 egg yolk
• 2-3 Tbsp water

Prepare the Broth: Cover turkey carcass in large pan. Chop one onion into large pieces and add them to water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 3 hours. When cool, strain all the liquid out and separate meat and bones. Set aside meat and discard bones.

Prepare the Soup: Mince remaining onion. Heat olive oil in large pan and when hot, add onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Season with salt & pepper and remaining spices.  Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes.

Add 12 cups of broth and the shredded turkey to the pot. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about an hour.

Prepare the noodles: Combine flour and salt in bowl. Form a well in the center. Add egg, yolk and water (start with 2 Tbsp, add more if need-be) and mix together with fork. Knead for about 5 minutes on a floured surface. Set aside. Roll into thin pieces and cut into desired shapes. Boil in salted water for about 8-10 minutes.

Add noodles to soup and taste. Add more salt and/or seasonings if necessary, remember the broth doesn’t have any!

It might not be the most popular thanksgiving side dish, but it just might be mine and it sure was a popular one at our annual Thanksgiving party last weekend. I honestly didn’t expect it to be a huge hit, but I knew that myself (and some others) would appreciate some green food alongside the sea of beige turkey and mashed potatoes. And if I’ve learned anything in life, it’s always bring a healthy option, no matter where you are going. That way you’ll always have something healthy to munch on.

I love kale because it is delicious, but I also love the nutritional profile it has. It’s high in vitamin K, A and C, fiber, potassium, calcium, iron, antioxidant nutrients, anti-inflammatory nutrients and anti-cancer nutrients. And that in itself is something to be thankful of this holiday season.

Sauteed Kale - 8-10 servings

• 4 bunches of kale (I used a combination of green & purple)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• salt

Wash and cut kale into 2″ pieces, removing tough center stem.

Mince garlic.

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in large saute pan. When oil is hot, add 1/2 of the kale and 1/2 of the garlic. Season with salt and toss greens until wilted. Set kale aside and repeat with remaining ingredients.

Serve warm or at room temperature.