What to do with all that leftover turkey? A big turkey dinner means turkey soup is on deck! Use up leftover turkey and the turkey carcass in this delicious bowl of comfort to enjoy for days. Every Thanksgiving my mother takes what’s left of the turkey carcass and makes a delicious turkey soup that we enjoy for days. The first step is to make the stock, which you can get started on right after dinner. The amounts shown are a guideline. Improvise at will depending on the ingredients you have on hand and how much soup you are making.
Sometimes after enjoying all our favorite Thanksgiving foods, we find ourselves craving a lighter option. That’s where our leftover turkey soup comes in.
A good homemade Turkey Soup recipe, this is a real go to after holiday meals! Tender chunks of leftover turkey, carrots, onions, celery, and pasta noodles are simmered in a delicious homemade turkey stock. Serve it alongside some dinner rolls and transcend into comfort food heaven! Serve this with some crusty French Bread, Cheesy Garlic Bread or homemade Ciabatta Bread. Add in a garden fresh salad and what a perfect meal.
Not what you are looking for? Try these other great soup recipes Super Simple Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup, Canadian Cheese Soup or some Parma Rosa Tomato Soup.
PrintTurkey Soup
Next-Day Turkey Soup with Mashed Potato Polpetti
- Prep Time: :30
- Cook Time: 2:00
- Total Time: 2:30
- Yield: 6-8
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
Ingredients
Mashed Potato Polpetti (Patties)
Instructions
- Put the chicken broth, turkey, carrot halves, celery stalk, onion halves and 1 bay leaf in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil and then simmer, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Dice the turkey meat. Make sure the meat pieces are no larger than the size of a soup spoon. (If preparing the soup the next day, be sure to store leftover turkey meat in an airtight container before placing it in the refrigerator. Top with 1 or 2 ladles full of broth to keep the meat moist.)
- Before straining the broth, remove the large bones and carcass with tongs. Strain the broth through a sieve covered with wet cheesecloth. Discard the solids. Transfer the broth to a bowl set in a bath of ice water, which will cool the broth quickly and help keep it fresher longer. This can be done the night before and stored in the refrigerator until the next day.
- In a large soup pot, heat the garlic in the olive oil over medium heat. Allow to brown slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the minced carrots, celery and onions. Sweat over medium-low heat until softened, 7 or 8 minutes.
- Dice the leftover Thanksgiving vegetables. Add the sage to the soup pot along with the turkey broth and the remaining bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. When simmering, add the Brussels sprouts, green beans and diced turkey meat to the soup. Bring it back up to a simmer. Finally, add the sweet potatoes to the center and gently push them down. Turn the heat off and cover. Allow to sit and steam, 5 to 7 minutes. Let simmer for 5 more minutes and serve with the Mashed Potato Polpetti.
Mashed Potato Polpetti
- Re-season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese. Take a mayonnaise or peanut butter lid and line with plastic wrap to use as a mold. Pack the potato mixture into the lid, unwrap it and place the patty on a baking sheet. You may refrigerate them covered with plastic wrap until the next day, or fry immediately.
- To cook, dredge the patties in flour. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Just before frying, dredge the patties again with flour.
- Add the patties to the oil without crowding them (you may have to cook them in batches). Cook until the underside is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip and brown the other side. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with leftover gravy. Makes 6 servings.