This hearty Turkey Soup recipe is flavorful and filled with rotini pasta, celery, carrots and turkey. It’s perfect for fall!
I love to make this Turkey Soup after Thanksgiving when I have plenty of leftover Thanksgiving turkey. It’s quite similar to a homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, with a slightly different flavor.
Use Up Some Leftover Turkey!
Is Turkey one of your favorite meats? I admit it’s not for me, but it’s still one I enjoy, mostly around the holidays. Since most people have turkey for Thanksgiving, I wanted to make sure I shared at least a few recipes with y’all that would be great for some of that leftover meat.
Not sure about you, but we always have leftovers after Thanksgiving (we prepare WAYYY too much food). Other than making sure there are plenty of tupperware dishes for guests to take home leftovers, I also think it’s great to have a few recipes in mind for the next week to use up all the leftovers (like 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, this creamy Turkey Soup is perfect. It’s flavorful and tastes a lot like Chicken Noodle Soup, which is perfect to enjoy with the cooler weather. 🙂
How to Make Turkey Soup
One thing I love about this soup is that it only takes about 30 minutes total! The steps are simple.
VEGETABLES. In a large pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add carrots and celery; cook and stir 8-10 minutes or until tender.
THICKEN. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended; gradually stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add pasta (most pastas work but we love rotini and butterfly pasta most_.
SIMMER. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered for 8-10 minutes.
TURKEY. Stir in turkey and cream; heat through (do not boil). Enjoy WARM!
Can you use the turkey carcass from thanksgiving dinner? If you still have the turkey carcass you can make some turkey stock to use in the soup instead of chicken broth. This needs to be done the day before.
- Stick the carcass in a stock pot with water/broth and bringing it to a boil.
- Then let it simmer for 4-5 hours before removing the carcass.
- Drain the stock through a colander or mesh sieve to remove any lingering pieces of bone.
- Store the stock in the fridge for a few days, or the freezer for a couple months until you’re ready to use it for the soup.
Additions and Storing
Things to add in: You can add in sauteed onion to give a little bit of sweetness and an additional flavor. Switch up the type of noodle, maybe try using egg noodles.
Storage: If you have any leftover chicken noodle soup, you can store it in the fridge or freezer to be enjoyed later. You can either store altogether or divide it into individual portions. Be sure to use air tight, freezer safe if applicable, containers. Keep in mind the noodles may become mushy due to absorbing so much liquid over time.
- Fridge: Store for 3-4 days
- Freezer: lasts anywhere from 4-6 months
- Reheat in the microwave or stove top.
For more hearty soups, check out:
Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp butter cubed
- 5 medium carrots chopped
- 3 celery ribs sliced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 10 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups rotini pasta
- 2 cups cubed cooked turkey
- 1 cup half & half
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add carrots and celery; cook and stir 8-10 minutes or until tender.
- Stir in flour and seasonings until blended; gradually stir in chicken broth.
- Bring to a boil. Add pasta. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered for 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in turkey and cream; heat through (do not boil). Enjoy WARM!
hey girl- this soup looks oh so yummy!
Thank you Shawna!
Like chicken noodle soup, only 5 million times better! Thanks!!!
So hearty and yet easy on the waistline. We always add cayenne for a low burn.
Delicious and easy way to use up leftover Thanksgiving Turkey! I was sick of turkey from Thanksgiving so I portioned it and stuck it in the freezer. That’s what I used for this and it was great for a quick weeknight dinner.
Best use for your leftover Thanksgiving Turkey. I even used the carcass to make the broth instead of using chicken broth. This recipe is so rich and buttery- my family raves about it and it was so easy to make! Will be permanent in the rotation.