Use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving to make this comforting Turkey Noodle Soup recipe. You can even double the batch and freeze it for later!
Weeknight-easy
Minimal prep
You’ll Learn: How to build deeper flavor with simple layering
Worth It: It’s a satisfying, protein-forward option that actually keeps you full
Bonus: Easy to tailor to common diets
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Twist on leftovers – Thanksgiving leftovers can be delightful, but we’ve all sometimes felt like we’re in a never-ending turkey loop after Thanksgiving. That’s when I start to transform Thanksgiving leftovers into something new, like this delightful leftover turkey soup recipe.
- Easy to make – I understand that post-Thanksgiving exhaustion can make the thought of more cooking unappealing. Fortunately, this turkey noodle soup is incredibly simple since it uses leftover turkey meat and it comes together in just 40 minutes.
- Great winter favorite – This recipe is great for Thanksgiving leftovers, but I love making it all winter long! It’s the perfect cozy meal.
Serving Suggestions
This turkey noodle soup recipe pairs perfectly with some toasted bread. Sourdough is my soup dipping bread of choice but any bread will work. You could try my overnight bread recipe.
If you have other leftovers in your fridge from Thanksgiving like mashed potatoes or cranberry applesauce, you can serve those with this soup. The flavors of this leftover turkey soup will complement just about any other Thanksgiving dish and it will also help you use up leftovers.
If you need a turkey recipe to make this soup with, you can make this turkey tenderloin or crockpot turkey recipe.
Ingredients
- Leftover cooked turkey – I use mostly turkey breast meat for this soup
- Celery, carrots, yellow onion – this combination creates a classic mirepoix for your soup. It’s the base of flavor in your soup
- Oil – I used olive oil to saute the veggies, but you can use any oil
- Salt – the salt enhances all of the flavors of the veggies
- Parsley, sage, garlic powder, black pepper – this spice blend adds the classic Thanksgiving taste to your soup
- Turkey broth – you can buy store bought or use homemade turkey stock
- Water – use water to supplement the broth in your soup without overpowering it
- Lemon juice – I love adding a bit of citrus to brighten up the soup
- Egg noodles – I love using egg noodles, but you can use whatever your favorite noodle is
Make your own turkey stock
You can use the turkey carcass from your Thanksgiving turkey to make your own turkey stock. Save any of the bones from thanksgiving dinner as well as any vegetable scraps from making the sides.
Add the bones, scraps, 1 tbsp of sea salt and any herbs you like to a large pot with 12 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer covered for 4 hours. Strain out solids and cool before storing in the fridge.
You can also make broth in your instant pot. Cook under manual high pressure for 1 hour. Release pressure, cool and strain.
Ingredient Substitutions
I love making this turkey noodle soup with egg noodles because there is something so comforting about them but you can use any noodles that you prefer or have on hand. You can also use gluten-free pasta for this recipe to make it gluten-free.
You also can substitute the turkey stock if needed. Chicken broth or vegetable broth will both work just as well.
This soup is intended to be made with leftover Thanksgiving turkey, but you can definitely use chicken or even a meat free protein instead. A rotisserie chicken would be delicious and would cut down on prep time if you don’t have leftover turkey.
I added fresh parsley and sage to this soup, but I think soup tastes even better with extra teaspoons of fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary. You can even throw a bay leaf or two into the simmering broth just be sure to take them out before you serve it.
Add a few cloves of garlic to this soup to intensify the broth flavor. Just mince 2 cloves garlic and mix it in with the carrot, onion and celery while it sautes.
How to make
Step 1: Dice veggies and start preparing soup
To start, dice celery, carrots, and onion. Heat oil in a large heavy bottom pot like a stock pot or dutch oven over medium low heat and pour in the celery, carrots, and onion.
Next, saute veggies until soft and fragrant or about 5 minutes. Pour in salt, parsley, sage, garlic powder, and pepper, and toss veggies in the seasonings.
Step 2: Add meat and bring soup to a boil
After that, place the cubed turkey in the pot along with turkey broth, water, and lemon juice. Bring soup to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 3: Cook Noodles
Next, cook egg noodles in a separate pot to avoid the noodles soaking up too much soup broth. Drain noodles and set aside.
Step 4: Serve and enjoy!
Now it is time to serve hot soup in bowls over the egg noodles. Garnish with salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs.
storage, Reheating, and Freezing
Once prepared, allow the turkey noodle soup to cool completely, and then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove-top or in the microwave until warmed through.
You can freeze this soup in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. I like to store it as individual servings so that I can defrost them one at a time.
Check out these other soup recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Turkey Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb leftover cooked turkey – shredded sliced or cut into cubes
- 3 stalks of celery
- 2 large carrots
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried parsley or 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp rubbed sage of ½ tbsp fresh chopped sage
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 qt turkey broth or chicken broth
- 4 cups of water
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 8 oz egg noodles or noodles of choice
Instructions
- Dice celery, carrots and onion.
- Heat oil in a large heavy bottom pot like a stock pot or dutch oven over medium low heat and pour in the celery, carrots, and onion. Saute veggies until soft and fragrant about 5 minutes. Pour in salt, parsley, sage, garlic powder and pepper and toss veggies in the seasonings.
- Place cubed turkey in the pot along with turkey broth, water and lemon juice. Bring soup to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Cook egg noodles in a separate pot to avoid the noodles soaking up too much soup broth. Drain noodles and set aside.
- Serve hot soup in bowls over the egg noodles. Garnish with salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and fresh herbs!
Recipe Notes
- Use any type of noodles that you like for this dish
- You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth in place of turkey stock
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Leave a Reply