Turkey Soup

Homemade Turkey Soup is one of the easiest, yummiest recipes. It tastes like home and is the epitome of comfort food.

I love to make this Turkey Soup after Thanksgiving when I have plenty of leftover Roast Turkey. It’s quite similar to homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, with a slightly different flavor.

Use Up Some Leftover Turkey!

While Turkey isn’t one of my favorite meats, I enjoy having it around the holidays.

Since most people have turkey for Thanksgiving, I wanted to make sure I shared at least a few recipes that would be great for some of that leftover meat.

We always have Thanksgiving leftovers because we prepare WAYYY too much food. Other than sending guests home with a Tupperware full, I think it’s great to have a few recipes in mind to use up all the leftover turkey meat.

We love Turkey Tetrazzini or Creamy Turkey and Noodles, as well as soups like today’s recipe.

Of course, you can freeze a lot of the meat but in case you want to use it, this homemade Turkey Soup recipe is perfect. It’s flavorful and tastes a lot like Chicken Noodle Soup, which is perfect to enjoy in the cooler weather.

How to Make Turkey Soup

One thing I love about this Turkey Soup recipe is that it only takes about 30 minutes in total! The steps are also simple.

VEGGIES. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add celery and carrots and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.

TURKEY. Then, add broths, chopped turkey, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.

PASTA. Reduce heat, add egg noodles and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Slow cooker directions

Add all the ingredients into the slow cooker, except the noodles. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 – 7 hours or on HIGH for 2 – 3 hours. Add the noodles and cook an additional 30 – 40 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.

Recipe tips

Turkey. Turkey Soup is great to use leftover Roast Turkey. If you don’t have any leftovers or didn’t make a turkey:

• Purchase raw turkey breasts or tenderloins, add poultry seasoning, and bake them. Once done, chop and add it to the soup.
• Or go the precooked route. Most grocery stores carry packages of pre-cooked, chopped turkey, or stop by the deli and have them cut thick slices of turkey and cube them at home.

Make your own turkey broth. Make turkey stock with the leftover turkey carcass to use instead of broth. This needs to be done the day before.

1. Stick the carcass in a stock pot and cover it with water/broth and bring it to a boil.
2. Let it simmer for 4-5 hours before removing the carcass.
3. Drain the stock through a colander or mesh sieve to remove any lingering pieces of bone.
4. Store the stock in the fridge for a few days, or the freezer for a couple of months until you’re ready to use it for the soup.

Thicken soup. If you prefer a creamy Turkey Soup, add heavy cream, yogurt, or use a can of cream of chicken soup. You can also use flour or cornstarch:

• Flour: Scoop ½ cup of hot broth out of the soup and into a bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon of flour. Once smooth, pour the mixture back into the soup and stir. 
• Cornstarch: In a separate bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of cold water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Add half to the soup and let it simmer. Add more as needed. 

Variations + Storing

This Turkey Soup is delicious as it, but here are a few suggestions to make it your own:

• Add cooked wild rice, white rice, or brown rice.
• Mix in more veggies such as green beans, peas, and corn.
• Add favorite herbs like fresh parsley or a bit of rosemary.
• Switch up the type of noodle. Most pasta works, but we love rotini and butterfly pasta the most.

Serve Turkey Soup in a Bread Bowl, or with a side of Homemade Rolls or Breadsticks.

STORE leftover Turkey Soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Keep them altogether or in individual portions.

FREEZE. Cool and store in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer for 4-6 months. Keep in mind the noodles may become mushy due to absorbing so much liquid over time. 

Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

For more hearty soups:

• Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Italian Tortellini Soup
• Ham And Bean Soup
• Loaded Broccoli Potato Soup
• Hamburger Soup
• Chicken Dumpling Soup