Whenever you have leftover turkey (or chicken), it’s the perfect time to make turkey soup! I want to share with you my “secrets” to making an excellent pot of soup using leftover turkey or chicken.
What’s better than a cozy hot bowl of turkey soup in the middle of winter? Especially when the weather outside is dreary, cold and gray, a warm bowl of soup just makes everything better.
The last pot of turkey soup I made after Thanksgiving with our leftover turkey turned out SO good, I just had to share it with you! Along with some of my favorite tips for making chicken and turkey soup taste so much more flavorful.
Tips for the Most Flavorful Turkey Soup
- Save juices from cooking the turkey and chill, then skim off the fat. The liquid (which will turn to gel in the fridge) makes great broth for soup and the fat adds great turkey flavor as well. You can also save the juices from cooking salsa chicken (or other chicken recipes where you use liquid to cook it).
- Keep it going by freezing part of your stock from one soup/recipe to use in the next. I call this the 100 year old stew method – and it really does add a depth of flavor you will not believe.
- Cook up the bones to make a flavorful broth – even if you didn’t save the juices from cooking your bird (or if you are using a rotisserie chicken), put the carcass in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for a few hours. You’ll be rewarded with a delicious broth – and the extra bits of meat stuck to the bone should slide right off as well. Cook for 12- 24 hours to make bone broth, which has additional health benefits.
- If you made gravy with your turkey, you can use the leftover gravy in your soup. Gravy adds flavor and helps thicken the soup.
- A bay leaf – such an easy addition to soup and it adds so much flavor
- Herbs and seasonings – Fresh or recently dried herbs add a variety of flavors to tempt your tastebuds. Herbs that work well with turkey are Italian Seasoning, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary or tarragon.
- Aromatics / classic soup veggies – Key ingredients to use in a good turkey soup are onion, garlic, carrots & celery.
- Canned tomatoes add another dimension of flavor as well and they help clarify the broth.
- Add a little kick! Even if you’re not a fan of spicy food, adding a little hot pepper sauce, salsa or just straight up chopped hot pepper makes it dance on the tongue.
Excellent Turkey Soup from Leftover Turkey
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 45 min – 1 hour
- Yield: 4 – 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 Tablespoons fat skimmed from the top of the turkey juices after chilling (see tips) – or sub olive oil or bacon fat
- 1 large onion, peeled & chopped
- 3 – 5 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
- 2 large sticks of celery, chopped (save the leaves to add at the end)
- 2 carrots, peeled & chopped
- 3 cups juices from cooking the bird – or chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pint home-canned tomatoes or 1 15-oz. can
- 2 cups mixed, chopped vegetables (use veggies of your liking – I used a frozen peas, corn, green bean & carrot mix, but broccoli, squash, cauliflower, bell peppers, or other veggies also work nicely)
- 2 cups chopped leftover turkey or chicken meat
- Chicken Better than Bouillon, to taste
- Fresh or dried herbs such as Italian Seasoning, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary or tarragon, to taste
- Optional: cooked brown rice, for serving – or if you prefer, add noodles or dumplings
Instructions
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the fat and let it melt, then add the chopped onion. Saute for a few minutes until the onion is soft and translucent, then stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots and cook for a few minutes longer.
- Add the juices, bay leaf and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for at least 20 minutes. Stir in the veggies and chopped turkey and cook until the veggies are hot and tender. Taste and add bouillon and/or herbs to your liking.
- Serve hot with cooked rice or cooked noodles, or top with dumplings if you prefer. Enjoy!
Notes
- A bit of leftover gravy added to the soup will provide extra flavor and help thicken the soup.
- Stirring in a bit of salsa or chopped hot peppers adds another lovely dimension to the pot.
- See post for additional tips for making excellent turkey soup.
- RECIPE SOURCE: Sumptuous Spoonfuls – https://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/ … © Copyright 2023, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1 cup
- Calories: 205
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 20g
Keywords: Turkey, Soup, Leftovers
What to serve with turkey soup?
- Chipotle Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- The Best Soft Fluffy Biscuits
- Cornmeal Pillow Biscuits
- Balsamic Tomato Lentil Salad
- Spinach Mushroom Blue Cheese Salad
- Roasted Butternut & Beet Salad
