Homemade Turkey Soup
Make the most of leftover turkey with this Turkey Noodle Soup recipe made with simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions.
Try this Homemade Turkey Soup to warm you up this season
If you’re staring down a big Ziploc bag full of leftover turkey and you’ve already had a few sandwiches, it’s time to make Turkey Noodle Soup.
Even if you don’t feel like eating it right now, you can make it and freeze it for a meal next month or something (Future You will thank you)!
This soup works well with leftover turkey meat (either dark or white meat), and leftover chicken, too!
Why you will love this recipe for Turkey Soup
- Crafted by a culinary school graduate – I had MONTHS of training in culinary school on how to make the very best soups (including what order to add each ingredient), and I’ve put it to work for you in this recipe.
- Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days or freezes up to 3 months.
Turkey Soup Ingredients
- cooked turkey meat – you’ll need 2 cups of fully cooked, chopped turkey meat. Either light or dark meat, or a combo is fine. Chicken works too!
- egg noodles – I like either a medium or wide egg noodle here, but you can use whatever you like best.
- turkey broth – or turkey stock, chicken broth or chicken stock.
- carrots – add sweetness and vibrant color.
- celery – for a subtle earthiness and crunch.
- onion – adds depth of flavor.
- garlic – adds lots of aromatic flavor.
- olive oil – for sauteeing the vegetables. Butter works, too.
- bay leaves and thyme – infuses the soup with subtle herbal notes.
- salt and pepper – for seasoning the soup to perfection.
Turkey Soup Seasoning
We’ve kept it simple by seasoning this soup with just salt and pepper, along with bay leaves and thyme for herbal notes.
You can also add additional herbs such as rosemary or oregano, if you wish.
Seasoning may need to be adjusted before serving, depending on brand of broth or stock you use. Taste soup and make adjustments (like adding extra salt) as necessary.
How to make Turkey Soup
1. SAUTE VEGGIES. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion, and cook until the vegetables are softened.
2. ADD AROMATICS. Add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper, and cook 1 minute.
3. ADD BROTH AND BOIL. Stir in the broth and water, and heat to boiling.
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4. NOODLES. When the soup is boiling, stir in the noodles and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. TURKEY. Reduce the heat and stir in the turkey. Cook 5 minutes or until turkey is warmed through and noodles are tender.
6. SERVE. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with parsley, if you wish.
How to make Turkey Soup in advance
This soup is perfect as a make-ahead meal. Something you MAY want to consider (although this is certainly quite optional) is cooking the noodles separately, so that they don’t get soft while being stored in the fridge (this really depends on your tolerance for softer noodles).
If you’d like to do this, make the soup according to the recipe card below, but skip Step 4. Refrigerate soup until ready to serve.
Then, when you want to serve the soup, bring it to a boil and stir in the uncooked noodles at that time, allowing the noodles to cook until they are tender before serving.
Home Chef Tips for the Best Turkey Soup
- If you have a turkey carcass on hand, make homemade turkey broth to give this soup an extra layer of homemade flavor.
- Taste and adjust seasonings at the end. Depending on what brand of broth or stock you use, your soup may need more salt. Taste and adjust according to your preference.
- Experiment with different vegetables. Feel free to add leeks, parsnips or even a handful of spinach!
What to pair with this Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe
Pair this homemade turkey soup with a Thanksgiving green salad and crusty bread or homemade yeast rolls to turn it into a wholesome meal.
Storing Homemade Turkey Soup
Allow soup to cool and then transfer to an airtight container. Soup can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.
How to reheat this recipe for Turkey Soup
Thaw frozen soup overnight if necessary, and then gently reheat soup on stovetop with a splash of water or broth to restore its original consistency.
Turkey Soup Recipe FAQ
For a bit of added flavor and color, add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric to the soup in Step 2.
If you’d like your turkey soup to be thicker, you can use a cornstarch slurry. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with an equal amount of cold water, and gradually stir that mixture into simmering soup.
Allow the soup to simmer a few minutes (it must come to a boil to activate the cornstarch), and if the soup hasn’t reached your desired thickness, you can repeat the cornstarch slurry process again.
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Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups low-sodium turkey broth
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups uncooked egg noodles
- 2 cups chopped cooked turkey meat
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onion and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally.
- Add garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in broth and water. Heat to boiling over medium heat.
- When soup is boiling, stir in noodles and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in turkey. Cook 5 minutes or until turkey is warmed through and noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Serve soup garnished with parsley, if desired.
Notes
- If you have a turkey carcass on hand, make homemade turkey brothto give this soup an extra layer of homemade flavor.
- Taste and adjust seasonings at the end. Depending on what brand of broth or stock you use, your soup may need more salt. Taste and adjust according to your preference.
- Experiment with different vegetables. Feel free to add leeks, parsnips or even a handful of spinach!
