Wondering what to do with leftover Thanksgiving turkey? A pot of homemade Turkey Soup is a delicious way to make the most of your holiday meal. This comforting recipe transforms the turkey carcass, leftover meat, and extra vegetables into a flavorful soup that can feed the family for days. It’s a practical way to reduce food waste while creating a meal that feels completely different from the original turkey dinner.
The secret to a rich, satisfying soup is the stock. Simmering the turkey carcass with chicken broth, carrot, celery, onion, and bay leaves builds a savory base that brings everything together. Dark turkey meat adds hearty flavor, while garlic, fresh sage, and leftover vegetables make every spoonful taste like a second helping of the holiday feast.
Begin by simmering the turkey carcass with the broth, halved vegetables, and a bay leaf to develop the stock. Remove the bones and strain the liquid carefully before preparing the soup. If you’re making the stock ahead, cool it promptly and refrigerate it in a covered container. When you’re ready to finish the soup, soften minced onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in olive oil. Add the strained stock, chopped turkey, sage, and leftover cooked vegetables, then simmer until everything is heated through and the flavors have melded.
This recipe is flexible, so use the cooked vegetables you have available, such as Brussels sprouts, green beans, or sweet potatoes. Cut larger pieces into bite-size portions so they are easy to enjoy in each spoonful. Season to taste before serving.
A large stainless steel stockpot is helpful for simmering the carcass and making enough stock for a generous batch of soup.
Serve Turkey Soup with crusty bread or warm dinner rolls for a comforting meal. The recipe yields about 6–8 servings and takes roughly 2½ hours, making it a worthwhile project when you have leftover turkey and want another satisfying meal from it.
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.
Related Recipes: Soup Recipes and Chicken Noodle Soup
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Turkey Soup
Next-Day Turkey Soup with Mashed Potato Polpetti
- Total Time: 2:30
- Yield: 6-8
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.
- Prep Time: :30
- Cook Time: 2:00
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top