Leftover Turkey Soup – the perfect soup to use up all that leftover turkey from the holidays! It is full of veggies, herbs, and noodles for a hearty, delicious and comforting meal.
I love soup weather. As soon as it starts to get even a little chilly at night I want to make soup all week long. Our family loves Verde Pesole, it is a staple in our house. And Chicken Tortilla Soup also make a very regular appearance.
But this turkey noodle soup is something we look forward to every year. It is our go to use for the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving and Christmas.
If you are a fan of chicken noodle soup, you are going to love this too. It is such a great use of leftover turkey and you can load it with veggies to make it filling and good for you. Which after a holiday meal, you know is probably a good idea.
My mother-in-law has always made her Roasted Turkey for Thanksgiving in a Nesco Roaster. And as soon as dinner was over she would put the turkey carcass and water back in there, and make turkey broth. And the next day leftover turkey soup is always on the menu.
If you don’t want to use the turkey carcass to make your own broth, you can use chicken broth or if you can find turkey broth in the store you can use that as well. Trust me, after cooking a holiday meal all day, I am not always in the mood for more work. So there is no judgement for store bought broth!
How To Make Leftover Turkey Soup
If you are using the turkey carcass to make broth add it to a large pot with the water and a bay leaf and simmer for at least an hour to make a delicious turkey broth.
In a soup pot add the oil and sauté the veggies until they are soft.
Stir in the broth, turkey, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
If you are cooking the noodles in the soup add them and cook until they are soft. Otherwise boil them separately while the soup simmers for an additional 10 minutes.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings as desired.
Fill bowls with broth and mix in noodles.
Tips For The Best Leftover Turkey Soup
If you are not going to eat the whole pot of soup at once, cook the noodles separately and only add what you are going to eat the day of serving. Then store the leftovers separately. The noodles will soak up the soup as it sits in the fridge and just become mushy. So keeping them separate will make leftovers even better!
The amount of herbs and seasoning you need will really depend on your turkey. If your turkey you used a lot of herbs and that flavor really went into your turkey, you will need less for the soup. So taste and adjust based on your preference.
Feel free to mix up the veggies. I used the classic carrots, celery and onion in this. But if you have just a few leftover roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes you can add them to soup. You could even add in a few green beans, peas or corn if you have it leftover as well.
You can adjust the amount of broth based on how thick you like your soup. If you want it more like a stew that is loaded with chunks of meat and veggies, then decrease the broth a little. If you like slurp the broth than you can add more. This leftover turkey soup recipe is a super simple base for you to make your own.
How To Store Cooked Turkey Soup
Transfer the leftovers into an air tight container. Then store in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat pour into a saucepan and heat over medium heat, or you can microwave until it is warm.
If your noodles are kept separately add them when reheating.
Can You Freeze Leftover Turkey Soup
Yes, it is really easy to freeze! Once the soup is cool you can pour into a freezer safe bag or an air tight container and then place in the freezer for up to 4 months.
To thaw place in the fridge overnight and then reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave. I like to cook the noodles fresh if I freeze the soup, and then just add them once the soup is hot.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
Yield: 6Leftover Turkey Soup
Leftover Turkey Soup - the perfect soup to use up all that leftover turkey from the holidays! It is full of veggies, herbs, and noodles for a hearty, delicious and comforting meal.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
Add turkey carcass to a large pot with the water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 60-75 minutes to make turkey broth.
In a large stock pot over medium high heat, add oil and swirl to coat.
Add onion, celery and carrots to the oil. Sauté for about 5 minutes until they are starting to get soft.
Stir in the broth, turkey, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
If you are cooking the noodles in the soup add them and cook until they are soft. Otherwise boil them separately while the soup simmers for an additional 10 minutes.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings as desired.
Fill bowls with broth and mix in noodles.
Notes
You can use 8 cups prepared turkey or chicken broth and skip to sautéing the carrots, celery, and onion if not using a turkey carcass.
Nutrition InformationYield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 194Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 80mgSodium 486mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 20g
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.
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Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.
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