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My favorite way to use up leftover turkey is to make a delicious pot of turkey soup. This is also a great way to clean out your refrigerator!
To make the best tasting soup, make your own stock, it’s easy!
How to make turkey soup from a carcass:
Bones make a rich, flavorful stock; use the leftover turkey carcass with any leftover turkey meat along with an onion, a few stalks of celery, some garlic, herbs, and anything else you find in your refrigerator and let it simmer on low covered with water for a few hours. Then toss out the bones and vegetables, reserve the turkey and start your soup. There are no exact measurements, use whatever is in your refrigerator, or of course you can use canned stock or broth instead.
And yes, you can do this with chicken too!
Try These Leftover Thanksgiving Recipes:
- Leftover Turkey and Sweet Potato Frittata
- Leftover Turkey Tacos with Brussels Sprout Slaw
- Leftover Turkey Harvest Cobb Salad
- Leftover Turkey Lettuce Wraps
- Leftover Baked Turkey Croquettes
Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup
My favorite way to use up leftover turkey is to make a delicious pot of turkey soup. This is also a great way to clean out your refrigerator!
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 6 cups homemade turkey stock, or low sodium canned
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 3/4 cup diced celery
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 3 oz no yolk egg noodles
- 2 cups leftover shredded turkey, about 8 ounces
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan with homemade turkey stock (or canned).
- Add bay leaf, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and simmer 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
- Add parsley, noodles and shredded turkey; cook according to noodle directions, about 5 minutes.
- Discard bay leaf and serve.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Calories: 131 kcal, Carbohydrates: 25.5 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 0.5 g, Sodium: 57 mg, Fiber: 4.5 g, Sugar: 2.5 g
Excellent soup and a new favorite. So satisfying to come away with a rich pot of soup. It really made it doing my own broth from the turkey that had simmered and then I cooked and defatted it. I added more College inn turkey broth which is a bit salty I think–I am glad I didn’t add any extra salt. Used the wide egg noodles as what I had on hand. Got 8 cups worth of soup. Also since I was using my left over turkey for several skinny taste dishes –by the time I did this one really only had dark turkey meat left and that made it extra rich too really. Loved it. Thank you. ( The other recipes I did this time for left over turkey were the skillet “chicken or turkey in this case” enchilada and the turkey pot pie with the sweet potato topping–both wonderful as well. I like the things I make after having the turkey dinner better then the turkey dinner really!
The recipe fails to mention weather cooked or uncooked noodles. Might want to edit & put 3/4 cup of uncooked noodles.
Perfect! Easy to make. Taste wonderful. The only difference I made was to sauté the onion, garlic, celery and carrots with tablespoon of olive oil so it would cook faster. It only took about 5 minutes to make.
Perfect! Easy to make. Taste wonderful. The only difference I made was to sauté the onion, garlic, celery and carrots with tablespoon of olive oil so it would cook faster.
I froze our leftover Thanksgiving gravy and added that to the soup for extra flavor. Yum!
When making the bone broth do you add water..how much?
Made this soup today even if it is not “soup weather.” Delicious! Added just a pinch of dried French thyme crumbled with my fingers to the broth. – a little bit of herbs couldn’t hurt. Can’t wait to try more of your soup recipes! Thanks, Gina!
I made this today. Very good! Thank you again for all your delicious recipes!
In most of your recipes what do you mean by Freestyle points: 3, points +:3, what does the +:3 stand for?
That is point plus, an older WW program.
Great recipe! Using up all of my turkey leftovers from Canadian thanksgiving, I doubled it and added the juice of a whole lemon. So yummy! Thanks for the great soup recipe.
Glad you enjoyed it, hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!
I think I’m more excited to make this soup tomorrow than I was for Thanksgiving today!
Made this with leftover turkey I vacuum packed and froze. I used store bought turkey stock and this turned out really good. this for sure is a make again…
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I know this is an oldie but goodie, but I just made it today for the first time from a leftover turkey breast I slow cooked on Sunday. This was so easy and came out so flavorful! I doubled it and immediately put half into the freezer. Thanks for the always fabulous recipes online and in the books!!!
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Gina, I love your recipes, and have made this one a few times! However, i do think the nutrition information is incorrect. When i put the ingredients into the myfitnesspal recipe builder it matched the noodles to 3oz cooked noodles, which gives the nutrition info you posted. However, if it’s 3oz of uncooked noodles, then it’s about 225 calories per serving.
I will double check!
I made this soup with some leftover turkey we had and it was so good! I made it just how the recipe said and it was amazing! I love skinny soup recipes because you get such a big helping 🙂 so yummy!
I make my stock as we eat Thanksgiving dinner! I have a HUGE stock pot that I put 2lb.carrots 2lb onions, head of garlic, a bunch of celery, peppercorns, bay leaf, salt, and the turkey carcass, pan drippings, and trimmings. I add 3-4 gallon water and let it simmer away for hours. I allow it to cool outside overnight. The next morning I strain and freeze lots and make a pot of dump soup. Dump soup is all the leftover veggies, turkey, mashed potatoes and even some stuffing into the stock. WOW!
Made this for dinner and used rotini. It was fabulous!
~Stacy @ Stacy Makes Cents
I made this with chicken stock and leftover rotisserie chicken. DELISH!
Also, wanted to add to my post that instead of egg noodles I just used about a cup of elbow macaroni. And that I had fresh corn on the cob so I cut the kernels off 1 cob to put in the soup and I loved the crunch it added to the soup. They did not get soft or mushy like the canned stuff probably would.
Great, yes I use any pasta I have on hand.
Skinnytaste strikes again! Another keeper 🙂 I always thought that "real" soup probably involved a big meat bone in a pot that stewed for hours on the stove. I was skeptical of this recipe since it doesn't meet that criteria. But lo and behold–soup's on!! This was tasty and such a winter weather comfort! I omitted celery and substituted what I had on hand (cabbage, broccoli, crimini mushroom slices, scallions). Meatwise I added some diced leftover holiday ham (for salt) with the turkey. I used boxed broth but added some homemade frozen stock cubes. Spicewise I added cayenne pepper, garlic + onion powder, and 1 tbsp. dried parsley. From this recipe I learned that good homemade soup doesn't have to labor on the stove all day long for it to be "real" or real good!
just made this for dinner and oh my it was perfect, great recipe!
Hi Gina – would using boneless, skinless chicken breasts and ff low sod chicken broth change the total WW+ pts?
Hi Gina. Just wondering if this freezes well? Thanks for all your hard work. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Renaye
I made 3 batches of this soup after Thanksgiving (it was so good after the first that I decided to forgo the turkey sandwiches and use ALL leftover Turkey in this soup). I froze in 16oz plastic Ball freezer jars. I'm now dwindling down to my last 2 containers and I'm sad. It freezes wonderfully!
Just the recipe I was looking for! It's soup season…and I have loads of turkey leftovers.
This turned out so so very good, I used 4 oz of whole wheat noodles because that is what I had so I am just going to give it 4 PP. The whole house smells so good and I have lunch all week and believe me this is a soup kinda week…
I made this recently when I was sick. It was delicious, easy, and hit the spot when I wasn't feeling well. I substituted leftover chicken for turkey. Thanks for the recipe!
Made this for my family with the Easter leftovers.. it was awesome! Thanks for the recipe, first time I have ever made soup.
My family love this and Turkey Chili Taco Soup . We have soup and game night every year and both soup were a success…… will make again !!!!!!! Thank you
I stumbled upon this site when I was looking for a cream of broccoli soup. Be still my heart! I tried the "Chicken Parmesan." It was fabulous! I picked up ingredients to make "Baked Potato Soup." I shared this site with my WW friends.
Throw a sweet potato in the stock (whole not cut up) while cooking, it sucks up all the fat, no skimming required. Throw the sweet potato away before eating! Works for chicken noodle as well…
had this for dinner tonight.it was quick easy and tasty! thank you for another great recipe. i wish i had more turkey so i could make another batch! 🙂
i made this for dinner tonight using the last of a turkey breast i had cooked in the crockpot. this was wonderful. we had it for dinner tonight. it was perfect as it is freezing out here in buffalo ny
This was delicious! I used your directions to make stock the other day, so I was excited to make the soup to go with it. I did tweak just a little bit – I added an additional 2 c stock, a 15 ounce can of corn, drained, (because that's what my mom does), and an additional ounce of noodles. It served 3, with about a quart leftover, so I don't think I changed the point value much. I'll make this next time my son is sick – chicken noodle is his favorite comfort food. Thanks!
I made this with barley instead of the noodles and added cabbage for something extra…i love adding cabbage to soups. Love this recipe!
@Angela I am thinking of trying this with the roasted turkey breast from my local grocery. I also love turkey and luckily they have not only the fresh roasted chickens but the fresh roasted turkey breasts as well. I love not having to wait for holiday time for turkey. And now I can also have turkey soup!
I'm not a huge chicken and noodle soup fan (unless I'm sick). But I needed something quick and easy to use my leftover turkey. I do what I always do and check your website and saw this recipe and decided why not? I have to admit this was wonderful!!! As Angela said just like Panera's chicken noodle soup. Extremelly filling! Thanks for the time you take to share your wonderful recipes. I have loved all that I have tried!!
This was fabulous, Gina! I had to come back and make sure everyone knows this is a wonderful low-point soup option. It's pretty much the same as Panera Bread's chicken noodle soup, but a lot cheaper! 🙂 I will definitely be making this with shredded chicken in the future (even though I just love leftover turkey; I wish I had it around a lot more often). Thanks for a great lunch recipe for this week!
This looks delish! I was wondering, do you put the uncooked noodles in the soup and let them cook in the broth or cook the noodles separately and add later?
Hi Gina,
Love your site! Just wondering about the calories/points for this recipe. I make a very similar soup and when I analyzed your recipe through the software I use, I came up with 235 calories, 6 g fat, 13 g carbs, 2 g fiber and 30 g protein, which equates to 5 PointsPlus?
Thanks,
Martha
I was wondering the same thing- I got the same info as you….much different number than what is listed
Hi Gina, I have never ever posted on a blog before but have to let you know that I cooked your Turkey, lightened up stuffing, sweet potato brulee, and parmesan green beans for my In-Laws in Australia (for a belated Thanksgiving). It was amazing! Everyone loved the food. So good to know it wasn't blowing the calories out as well.
Thank you so much for doing what you do. The combination of fresh ingredients and flavours along with the WeightWatchers points in inspiring. Please keep them coming!
Thanks, Jamie
Hi Gina!!! This was the perfect way to use the rest of meat on the bone on my brined turkey breast and all those pesky leftover onions, celery, carrots and fresh parsley I had in fridge!!!! I am so lucky to have you as my Go-To!!! And thanks again for walking me through my first turkey endeavor- it came out excellent and so juicy- you really did help me stay calm too!!! Ok got to go now -SOUPS ON!!!!! Smells heavenly 🙂
Great Jenna!
I made this last night Gina! Incredible! Thanks so much!
What a perfect Saturday lunch! Thanks!
I'm so excited to try this!! I've always wanted a good recipe for this, and the low points sounds AWESOME after this week! I survive on your recipes…I will be using this one tonight!
Gina your recipes are awesome !
you can also substitute dreamfields pasta and lower the carb count. I serve it to my very italian family in they have no clue!
Yummy Turkey soup!
I wanted to be sure to stop by and say Happy Thanksgiving! So thankful to have met you here in blogland! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Blessings & Aloha!
Just what I was looking for! Now I hope I have enough turkey leftovers to make it.
Thanks!
What a great idea for Thanksgiving leftovers. Sandwiches are good, but turkey soup sounds even better!
Great idea! With my Husband and I and a 10lbs bird, were sure to have left overs!!
We make the same thing… we call it Turkey Bone soup.. cuz you gotta be careful or you might find a tiny turkey bone in it.. 😉
We also make Turkey Chop Suey with leftover turkey. We always cook a giant one or two so we can have enough leftovers to make both. 😀
This looks like a GREAT way to use some leftover turkey. Thanks!!!
Just as someone mentioned here, I always refrigerate my stock so I can remove all the fat. Then if I don't use it in soup, I freeze the extra to use in recipes.
Beth, a hen vs chicken should be the same.
Looks delicious! I will have to make this with all the leftover thanksgiving turkey!
Question: I make Hen Broth to use to prepare my Cornbread Dressing with, as it is much richer in flavor, etc… for that use. Do you know if Hen Broth in itself is higher in calories and/or points versus Chicken Broth? There is no added fat to it, I use 2 5 lb hens, carrots, onion, celery, tomatoes, and some salt and simmer for 3 hours. If I used it as a soup base I would definitely skim the fat off. How do you determine points for Chicken Broth/Stock vs Hen Broth/Stock vs Turkey Broth/Stock? Thanks Gina! This soup looks awesome!
A suggestion if you make your own stock – after cooking and straining the broth, refrigerate it overnight and then skim the fat off the top to make a lower-fat stock. Yummy!
Just a quick question, since this will be my second year doing the turkey, you use all the water, "juice," from the turkey that's at the bottom of the pan to make the broth?
I typically use as suggested above, the turkey bone and bits attached. Add the carrot,celery and onion, cover with water and boil, then simmer. When done, remove everything and refrigerate. Pick the bones to use the meat and discard everything else. When you get ready to make the soup, add any vegetables you would like to use in the soup and any turkey. I would at this time add any strained juice from pan which has been loosened with a little water (deglaze).
This was exactly what I was looking for!! Thank You!! 🙂 LOVE your site