Name: Excellent Turkey Soup from Leftover Turkey
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: PT-1H45M
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 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

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