My favorite way to use leftover turkey is to make a delicious pot of turkey noodle soup. It’s also an excellent way to clean out your refrigerator!
Turkey Noodle Soup
Don’t throw out the turkey bones after Thanksgiving! Making homemade turkey stock with bones is the secret to the best-tasting soup. I promise it’s easy! This Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup recipe is the perfect way to turn holiday leftovers into a satisfying meal. With a rich, flavorful broth, tender turkey, and a mix of vegetables and noodles, this soup is comfort in a bowl. For more of my favorite soup recipes that would be great with leftover turkey, try this Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, Turkey Pot Pie Soup, and Tortilla Soup.
Why This Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe Works
- Easy: This turkey soup with egg noodles and vegetables is so simple. You don’t even have to sauté the onions and garlic. Just throw everything in a pot and simmer.
- Healthy: This dish provides good fiber and protein with only 131 calories and fewer than 26 grams of carbs.
- Nourishing: This warm, comforting meal provides a variety of nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, and K and potassium.
- Freezer Friendly: This recipe for turkey noodle soup is great for meal prep and freezing since leftovers reheat well.
Ingredients
- Homemade Turkey Stock: Make your own stock with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving.
- Herbs: Bay leaf, fresh parsley
- Vegetables: Carrot, onion, celery
- Garlic: Mince two garlic cloves.
- Salt and Black Pepper to season your soup
- Noodles: I used No Yolks egg noodles.
- Turkey: You’ll need two cups of leftover shredded turkey.
How to Make Turkey Noodle Soup
- Fill a large pot with the stock, bay leaf, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer until the vegetables are soft.
- Remaining Ingredients: Put the parsley, noodles, and turkey in the stock, and cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Serve: Discard the bay leaf and serve hot.
Variations
- Chicken: Swap turkey with leftover chicken and chicken stock. You can also use the bones from a rotisserie chicken to make stock.
- Time Saver: If you don’t have time to make homemade stock, use low-sodium canned turkey or chicken stock or broth.
- Pasta: Use whatever types of noodles you have. Rotini and elbow macaroni would work.
- Herbs: Add fresh thyme, rosemary, or chives.
How to Make Turkey Stock with a Leftover Turkey Carcass
Bones create a rich, flavorful stock, and it’s easier to make than you might think. There are no exact measurements—use whatever is in your refrigerator.
- Add everything to a soup pot: the leftover turkey carcass with any turkey meat, an onion, a few stalks of celery, some garlic, herbs, and anything else you find in your refrigerator.
- Simmer: Cover everything with water, put the lid on the pot, and simmer it on low for a few hours.
- Strain the liquid: Toss out the bones and vegetables, reserve the turkey, and start your soup.
If you’re not making the soup right away, refrigerate the stock. Then, remove the fat from the top. You can use this turkey stock recipe as a base swapping the turkey wings for leftover turkey.
What to Serve with Turkey Noodle Soup
This easy turkey soup would be delicious with biscuits or crackers or a salad.
FAQs
How long is soup made with leftover turkey good for?
Leftover turkey lasts for up to four days. So, I’d recommend making this soup a day or two after Thanksgiving, so the soup is still good for at least a day.
Can you freeze turkey noodle soup?
Turkey noodle soup also freezes well, so if you have extra, freeze it in small containers for up to three months. You can either thaw it in the fridge overnight or microwave it straight from frozen.
Do egg noodles soak up soup?
Yes, noodles soak up the broth as they sit in the liquid. To reheat the soup, you may need to add a little extra water or stock.
More Leftover Turkey Thanksgiving Recipes:
Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup
Ingredients
Instructions
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Fill a large saucepan with homemade turkey stock (or canned).
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Add bay leaf, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and simmer 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
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Add parsley, noodles and shredded turkey; cook according to noodle directions, about 5 minutes.
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Discard bay leaf and serve.
Last Step:
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