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    Home » Recipes » Soup & Stew

    Turkey Soup Recipe

    Published: Nov 18, 2021 by Laura Reigel · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump To Recipe Comments
    easy turkey soup recipe pinterest image by foodology geek

    Homemade Turkey Soup is the ultimate comfort food when you have leftover Thanksgiving turkey. This soup recipe is just like your mom used to make. Curl up in a cozy sweater, grab a bowl of warm soup, and some freshly made dinner rolls. Is anything more satisfying? 

    left over turkey soup recipe after thanksgiving

    Turkey Soup Ingredients

    • Homemade turkey stock. You can use prepared turkey stock or even chicken broth here.
    • Leftover turkey meat. You'll want about 3 cups.
    • Vegetables. Onions, carrots, and celery. Optional: Frozen mixed vegetables.
    • Seasoning. Fresh parsley, rubbed sage, and some poultry seasoning.

    Optional Additions

    • Noodles. Egg noodles or homemade dumpling noodles.
    • Orzo. Orzo or another type of small pasta.
    • Rice. Long grain white rice, brown rice, or wild rice.
    • Cream. Add a little cream to turn this soup into a creamy turkey soup.
    two bowls of homemade turkey soups served with dinner rolls

    Soup From Scratch

    Leftover turkey soup involves making turkey stock from the leftover turkey carcass. If you've never done this before, let me talk you through it.

    **You can also use this method to make chicken stock and chicken soup. Anytime I have leftover roast chicken or roast turkey, I use it to make a soup.

    Making Homemade Turkey Stock

    You can make turkey stock in a large stockpot on the stove or in the crockpot. The secret to making flavorful broth is to simmer it for a long time, ensuring that you will have a delicious broth.

    You can make turkey stock by covering the turkey carcass with water and simmering. However, I like to add a mirepoix and a bay leaf to get the extra flavor in the stock, which is optional.

    1. Start by removing as much turkey meat from the turkey carcass as possible. Set it aside until you are ready to use it.
    2. Add the turkey carcass to a large stockpot and cover it with water. [note]
    3. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery.
    4. Season the stock with salt, black peppercorns, and bay leaf.
    5. Bring the water to a boil.
    6. After the stock reaches a boil, reduce heat to a simmer.
    7. Cover and simmer the stock for a few hours and up to 8 hours. When it's done the stock should have a rich turkey flavor. Make sure to check the stock periodically to ensure that there's still enough water in the pot.
    8. After the stock has a good flavor, strain the turkey carcass and the vegetables from the stock. Set aside until you are ready to use it for soup.

    Let's Make Homemade Soup

    1. Soften the onion by sautéing it in a little bit of butter or olive oil.
    2. Add in the vegetables that you'll be adding. [note]
    3. Add the turkey and the turkey stock.
    4. Add in the seasoning and some fresh chopped parsley.
    5. Allow everything to warm.
    2 bowls of soup made with leftover thanksgiving turkey

    Recipe Variations

    Turkey soup is fantastic in its simplest form. But, you can make it even better with your favorite noodles, pasta, or rice. When adding noodles or rice to your soup, the only thing to remember is that they will absorb a significant amount of the broth.

    You can thin the soup by adding additional broth or by adding a little bit of water.

    Turkey Noodle Soup

    Any variety of dried noodles or pasta can be added directly to the pot and then cooked to al dente before serving. Use about a half cup to a cup of dried noodles.

    Fresh dumpling noodles take less than 10 minutes to make and are perfect for making turkey noodle soup.

    Turkey Soup With Rice

    Dried rice can be added directly to the soup as well. YOu can pick any combination of rice that you like, and some good choices are long-grain white rice, brown rice, or wild rice.

    Barley or bulgar is another good addition to make this turkey soup more hearty.

    The Right Tools & Expert Recomendations

    As with every recipe, having the right tools gives you the best chance for success. To make the best homemade soup, you'll need:

    Stockpot

    A stockpot is a large, tall pot that gives you enough room to add in things like a turkey carcass or chicken bones, along with a significant amount of water and whatever vegetables and seasonings you'll want to add.

    My personal favorite goto cookware is All-Clad. I recommend purchasing an 8 to 10-quart stockpot. A stockpot this size is versatile and is a lifetime investment piece that usually comes with a steamer basket and pasta strainer insert. You will never need to buy another stockpot as long as you live.

    All-Clad Stock Pot Set

    Check Price

    Soup Pot

    A soup pot can be a cast iron dutch oven (my favorite), or any 5 to 8-quart pot with a lid. Choose something heavy-bottomed that holds its temperature well.

    I almost exclusively make soup in my 5.5 quart Staub Dutch oven. Le Creuset makes an equally worthy dutch oven. Both of these are enamel-coated cast iron. They hold their heat extremely well and are super durable.

    A traditional soup pot is also a great choice for homemade soup on the stovetop. You'll want to find a 5 to 8-quart soup pot with a lid. I recommend the All-Clad 6 Quart Soup Pot

    Staub 5.5 Quart Dutch Oven

    Check Price

    What to Serve With Turkey Soup

    Warm bread is a soup best friend. Leftover dinner rolls or warm and toast french bread are fantastic for mopping up all that delicious broth.

    You can drop dumpling noodles right into the broth.

    • Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls
    • Bakery Style French Bread Recipe
    • The Best Homemade Dumpling Noodle Recipe

    Hungry For More Soup Recipe

    When it's chilly outside, soup makes the best meal. It's always warm and comforting and usually a well-rounded meal. Check out our full lineup of soup recipes along with a few of our favorite fall soups.

    • Best Soup Recipes For Cold Days
    • Ham and Black Bean Soup Recipe
    • Spicy Chorizo Soup
    • Vegan Lentil Stew Recipe
    • Tomato Soup Recipe + Grilled Cheese
    • Creamy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

    ➽ Did you make this recipe? I love to see what's going on in your kitchen. Please show me what you're cooking. 🍳 Tag me @foodologygeek on your favorite social channel! Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest. If you loved ❤︎ this recipe, please leave a five ★ review and a comment!

    leftover turkey soup recipe
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    Turkey Soup Recipe

    Laura Reigel
    Homemade Turkey Soup is the ultimate comfort food when you have leftover Thanksgiving turkey. This recipe is just like the soup your mom used to make. Curl up in a cozy sweater, grab a bowl of warm soup, and some freshly made dinner rolls. Is anything more satisfying?
    PRINT PIN SAVE SAVED
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Soup
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 144 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 large yellow onion diced
    • 3 medium carrots peeled and diced
    • 4 medium stalks of celery diced
    • 8 cups turkey bone broth
    • 2 cups turkey meat shredded
    • 2 bay leaves
    • ½ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
    • ½ fresh lemon juiced
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil or coconut oil
    • Kosher salt
    • pepper
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    Instructions
     

    • Add the vegetables to a large stock pot along with the olive oil and salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and fragrant.
      Mirepoix: Carrots, celery, onions in a soup pot.
    • Add the bone broth, bay leaves, and turkey. Bring everything to a boil. 
    • Reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes. 
    • Remove bay leaves. Add fresh parsley and lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
    • Add noodles or pasta, if desired. Cook until they are al dente.

    Laura's Tips + Notes

    This recipe also works to make The BEST Chicken Soup.

    YOUR OWN NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 144kcalCarbohydrates: 12.7gProtein: 14.5gFat: 3.7gFiber: 1.2g
    Keyword soup, Turkey
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Snap a 📸 and share it. Tag me @foodologygeek and don't forget to hashtag #foodologygeek!

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    78 shares

    About Laura Reigel

    Laura is the owner and CEO of Foodology Geek. She holds a degree in Physiology and Neuroscience as well as a Certification as a Nutrition Coach. Laura uses her love of cooking and science to create healthy real food recipes that you'll love eating.

    As a certified recipe hoarder, and meal prep maven Laura is passionate about sharing her love for cooking easy from-scratch recipes. She also shares the occasional family recipe and all of the technical details.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Harold Burton

      June 30, 2021 at 7:17 am

      One pot dishes are my favorite to make. This looks so delicious and easy to make. I will have to give it a try this weekend.

      Harold Burton

      Reply
      • Laura Reigel

        July 01, 2021 at 10:27 am

        I'd love to hear how it comes out. 😃 You can make this recipe with chicken or turkey.

        Reply
    2. Jessica Robinson

      March 19, 2020 at 6:27 pm

      5 stars
      This turkey soup is perfect for leftover Thanksgiving turkey! Simple and glad it's freezer friendly!

      Reply

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