The perfect meal to use up all that leftover turkey from the holidays! Packed with fresh veggies, herbs and noodles, this leftover turkey soup recipe is super filling and comforting!
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Perfect for Leftover Turkey
I know most of you are going to be looking for a recipe to use up all that leftover roasted turkey or smoked turkey after Thanksgiving. Definitely give this easy turkey soup a try! It’s very filling and also pretty healthy too.
This recipe is an easy way to pack in extra veggies for your family. My whole family loved it and the kids gobbled it right up. We’ll definitely be making it again this weekend!
If you love chicken noodle soup, you will love this leftover turkey soup too. We love to add the noodles to bulk up the soup a little, but you can easily omit them if you want to keep it low carb.
This turkey soup is simple to make, comes together in one pot and is ready in less than an hour. This is the perfect recipe to use up that leftover turkey along with this turkey tetrazzini or turkey pot pie.
Why This Recipe Works
- Using leftovers. In our house, it never fails that we have lots of leftover turkey meat in the fridge after our Thanksgiving dinner. This turkey soup recipe is the perfect way to use it up! It’s also a great way to use up any leftover carrots, celery, onion and fresh herbs from other popular Thanksgiving dishes such as crockpot stuffing.
- One pot. Everything cooks in just one pot (including the noodles), making clean up super easy and quick.
- Comforting. Much like chicken and rice soup or pot pie soup, the savory flavor and hearty texture make this leftover turkey soup the ultimate comfort meal!
Recipe Ingredients
Made with a simple mix of veggies, noodles, seasonings and leftover turkey, this soup recipe is packed to the brim with all of the best flavors and textures!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Turkey: The star of the show in this recipe. Make sure to use leftover turkey that’s been cooked and shredded. Using both white and dark meat will give you the best flavor.
- Veggies: Chopped celery, onions and carrots (also known as mirepoix) are sauteed in butter to add the perfect aroma to the soup.
- Noodles: Uncooked elbow noodles are my favorite to use, but egg noodles are another great option. Cooked white rice or brown rice could also be added in before serving.
- Broth: You can use chicken broth for an easy option, or make your own homemade turkey stock from the turkey carcass.
- Herbs and spices: A simple mix of fresh thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper is all that’s needed to flavor this leftover turkey soup. Other spices that would taste delicious are parsley, sage, marjoram, rosemary, a bay leaf and poultry seasoning.
More Vegetables to Add
The beauty of this recipe is that you can add in any veggies you have on hand. I added the traditional vegetables that you typically find in a turkey soup, however feel free to add in any extras that you prefer. Such a great way to get those veggies in!
- Spinach
- Kale
- Peas
- Green beans
- Potatoes
- Corn
How to Make Turkey Soup
This recipe for leftover turkey soup takes just 15 minutes to prep and is ready to devour in just about 45 minutes. It cooks in just one pot, making it the absolute easiest turkey soup recipe out there!
- Cook the veggies. In a large pot over medium-heat, add in carrots, onion, celery and butter. Cook until onions are soft, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in liquids. Next add chicken broth (or turkey stock) and water to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Mix in noodles and meat. Then stir in the noodles, cooked turkey, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Cook for additional 10 to 12 minutes (until noodles are cooked through).
- Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a leftover homemade dinner roll from your Thanksgiving meal!
5 star review
This recipe was the inspiration needed to figure out a way to make a veggie-filled turkey soup for my family. Thank you for this recipe and the chance to change leftovers into something comforting on a cold day. :-)
– Dina
Recipe FAQs
Either one can be used. If you have homemade turkey stock, even better. It will make the soup more rich and flavorful.
Yes you can definitely use chicken if you’d like. We often make it whenever we have leftover shredded chicken or oven roasted chicken. Or if you prefer, you can make my chicken noodle soup recipe.
Cooked turkey will keep in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days, so I’d recommend making this soup about 1-2 days after your Thanksgiving meal. That way if you have any leftover soup, the turkey will still be fresh for a few more days.
We love serving ours with a piece of crusty French bread or sweet cornbread. Leftover reheated lion house rolls from your Thanksgiving meal also taste delicious on the side as well!
A trusty casserole such as turkey tetrazzini or a comforting turkey pot pie are two great leftover turkey recipes. It also tastes delicious in a breakfast casserole or quiche.
How Long Does It Last In The Fridge?
This soup will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days. Just be sure to store in an airtight container in the fridge. I like to reheat it on the stove. Add soup to a pot and cook on medium-heat, until the soup is warm throughout. You may need to add in a little more broth or stock if the soup has thickened.
Can It Be Frozen?
If you’re planning to freeze the turkey soup recipe, I’d recommend leaving out the noodles when cooking. They tend to get a bit mushy when frozen and reheated. Just make the recipe without the noodles and store in an airtight container in the freezer.
When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator over night. While warming soup back up on the stove, cook your noodles in a separate pot. Once noodles are cooked through, add to soup and enjoy!
Looking for more ways to repurpose your Thanksgiving leftovers? Make these cranberry meatballs using leftover cranberry sauce or add your roasted butternut squash to a big fall salad!
More Homemade Soup Recipes
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Leftover Turkey Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1-2 cups sliced carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 cup water
- 43.5 ounces chicken broth (or turkey stock)
- 1 cup elbow noodles , uncooked
- 2 ½ cups turkey , cooked and shredded
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme , or 1/4 teaspoon dried
- ¼ – ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt , plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper , plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-heat, melt butter. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until onions are softened. Add the water and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Add the noodles, turkey, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Return a boil, and cook for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked. Ladle into bowls and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
We had leftover turkey from a meal we made as an early Thanksgiving, and I needed something to make to use it up. This was perfect!
Glad you found this recipe when you needed it, Jessica. How fun to celebrate early!
I’ve always used out leftover turkey for some kind of dish, but never thought of soup! It turned out quite delicious! The meal did not require a lot of time and the recipe was super simple to follow. I highly recommend trying this soup!
I am glad you found this recipe user friendly, Julia. I love soup as a quick and easy comfort food. Thanks for the recommendation!
This is one of my favorite soups to make after Thanksgiving! We always have leftover turkey & I look forward to making this! It’s delicious!
Thanks, Kristyn. So many great recipes this time of year. I look forward to making some of yours as well!
Easy to make and delicious! My Thanksgiving turkey kept giving!
I substituted white rice for the elbow pasta. I’m sure the pasta is good, but rice makes an excellent carb as well.
Sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed the recipe :)
Yes I did and it looks yummy and will share with my granddaughter too. All the things we like and easy to make ahead if necessry
I hope you enjoy! :)
Best soup recipe a must try!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!!
Would have given it a 5, but I tweaked a few things that truly made it a 5. Great base recipe to start with. Have definitely saved it to use again in the future!
Try this soup recipe you can’t go wrong it’s good and easy to make. MY husband loved it it’s my go to chicken or turkey soup recipe.
The best and simplest recipe to follow!
This recipe was the inspiration needed to figure out a way to make a veggie-filled turkey soup for my family. Thank you for this recipe and the chance to change leftovers into something comforting on a cold day. :-)
My first time making soup. Came out amazing. Thank you for the easy to follow recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!