what the heck is turtle soup? Not literally made with turtle (I hope)?
Oh! Very much so! You'll see it on the menu of a few restaurants around here every once in a while-if you find a place that has muskrat, them may very well have turtle soup- we even have a "guy" in the area that sells turtle meat, although my husband traps, cleans and butchers his own turtles.
I make it once or twice a year, and it freezes very well. My SIL's grandfather lives up in LaVale and I send him some once a year as well!
He has these big turtle traps that he puts in the creek behind our farm. I think our county even has mandated turtle trapping seasons. I participate in none of this! I only cook the soup!
This is one of the two recipes (they are very similar, other one is a old one from Bookbinders in Philly) I usually use:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robert-irvine/turtle-stew-recipe-1918826
#1 - Turtle soup isn't my thing, but kids & husband like it and I don't mind making it, it's a late fall and/or holiday staple for us. But I don't eat it.
#2 - Hell no, I don't eat muskrat either.
#3 - Turtle in this case = snapping turtle, not terrapin or other endangered turtles
#4 - yeah, they have "mock turtle stew" made with beef...but well - why not call that beef stew?
#5 - What??? We can't be the only people who knows a "turtle meat guy"?
#6 - Seriously, no way would I eat muskrat.