Thanksgiving is over, the feast has come to an end, and you're left with a fridge full of leftovers. Don't let that turkey go to waste! With a little creativity, you can turn those leftovers into a delicious and hearty turkey soup that's perfect for a cold winter day. From classic recipes that use vegetables, herbs, and spices to more creative takes that incorporate different cuisines and ingredients, there's a turkey soup recipe out there for everyone. So gather your leftovers, grab a pot, and let's get cooking!
Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!
NEXT-DAY TURKEY SOUP WITH MASHED POTATO POLPETTI
Repurpose every element of your Thanksgiving leftovers into Michael Chiarello's Next-Day Turkey Soup with Mashed Potato Polpetti recipe from Food Network.
Provided by Michael Chiarello : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 2h30m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- 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 soupspoon. (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.
- 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.
- From Food Network Kitchens; after further testing and to ensure the best results this recipe has been altered from what was in the actual episode.
NEXT DAY TURKEY SOUP
Use leftover turkey to simmer up this healthy easy-to-make pasta soup using Progresso® chicken broth, sweet potatoes and green beans.
Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Lunch
Time 45m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- In a large soup pot, heat garlic in the olive oil. Allow to brown slightly and add onion, carrot and celery. Cover; sweat over medium-low heat until softened, 7 or 8 minutes. Add the chopped sage to the soup pot along with the broth and the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. When simmering, add the green beans, sweet potato and pasta to the soup. Bring it back up to a simmer; lower heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and pasta is cooked. Stir in turkey. Turn the heat off. Cover, and allow to sit and steam for 5 to 7 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 270, Carbohydrate 20 g, Cholesterol 55 mg, Fiber 3 g, Protein 26 g, SaturatedFat 2 1/2 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 1190 mg, Sugar 5 g, TransFat 0 g
DAY-AFTER-THANKSGIVING TURKEY CARCASS SOUP
This easy and delicious turkey soup is made using leftovers from Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. I usually make cornbread muffins to serve with it.
Provided by Beverly Burton
Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Soup Recipes Turkey Soup Recipes
Time 1h45m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Place the turkey carcass in a large, deep pot, and add the stuffing, celery, carrots, onion, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, sage, and chicken broth. Pour in additional water if needed to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium, and simmer for about 1 hour, skimming off any foam. Remove the carcass and any bones. Pick any meat off and return to the pot, discarding bones and skin.
- Season to taste with garlic salt and pepper. Stir in the rice and return to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the peas, and continue to simmer until rice is tender, about 10 minutes more. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 370.3 calories, Carbohydrate 63.8 g, Cholesterol 17.4 mg, Fat 7 g, Fiber 4.4 g, Protein 11.5 g, SaturatedFat 1.7 g, Sodium 1549.7 mg, Sugar 7.8 g
TURKEY SOUP
My daughter got this recipe from her husband's mother. As in many households, our turkey gets picked over for a few days after the holidays. This soup is especially good on cold winter nights when it's snowing...which happens a lot where I live! -Carol Brethauer, Denver, Colorado
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 4h30m
Yield 12 servings (5 quarts).
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a stockpot, place turkey carcass, water and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 4-5 hours. , Remove carcass from stock. Remove any meat; dice. Return to stock along with rice, onion, celery, carrots, bay leaf and poultry seasoning. Add remaining seasonings to taste. Cover; simmer over medium-low heat until rice is cooked. Discard bay leaf.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 147 calories, Fat 2g fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 28mg cholesterol, Sodium 412mg sodium, Carbohydrate 15g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 12g protein. Diabetic Exchanges
NEXT DAY TURKEY SOUP
Make and share this Next Day Turkey Soup recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Starfire aka Wendy
Categories Whole Turkey
Time 2h30m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Put chicken broth, turkey, onion halves, carrot halves, 1 celery stalk, and 1 bay leaf in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 1 1/2 hours. Finely dice the remaining onion, carrot and celery and reserve.
- Dice the turkey meat. Make sure meat pieces are no larger than the size of a soup spoon. (If preparing 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 meat moist.)
- Before straining broth, remove large bones and carcass with tongs. Strain the broth through a sieve, covered with wet cheese cloth. Discard the solids. Transfer 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 garlic cloves in the olive oil. Allow to brown slightly and add minced carrots, celery, and onion. Sweat over medium-low heat until softened, about 7 or 8 minutes.
- Dice the leftover vegetables (here Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and green beans). Add the chopped sage to the soup pot along with the turkey broth and the remaining bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. When simmering, add 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 for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Let simmer for 5 more minutes and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 92.8, Fat 4.9, SaturatedFat 0.9, Sodium 775.7, Carbohydrate 6.4, Fiber 1.4, Sugar 3.2, Protein 5.6
THE DAY AFTER THE FEAST BEFORE TURKEY SOUP
I had always been a great follower of Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey of The New York Times, and learned to cook by following their recipes. They printed this recipe in 1987, from which I learned to make a rich, delicious stock and heartwarming soup. I have continued this tradition for 21 years now, and am posting this recipe here so that I am assured of never losing it! Over the years, though, I have made some personalization to it. For instance, my habit has been, after dinner, to remove all meat from the turkey frame. I then immediately put the entire turkey frame in a huge stockpot with enough water to cover, and add the rest of the stock ingredients. Instead of cooking it for 1 hour, though, I usually let it simmer for anywhere from 3 to 4 hours. Before I go to bed for the evening, I strain the soup, let it cool, and refrigerate for use the next day. That Thanksgiving Friday, I skim the fat off the chilled stock, and then prepare the soup as directed. Again, I must reiterate, it is delicious!
Provided by JackieOhNo
Categories Poultry
Time 2h5m
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 25
Steps:
- To make the stock, put the bones in a kettle and add any leftover turkey skin.
- Add the water, giblet gravy, bay leaf, thyme, celery tops, coarsley chopped carrots, coarsely chopped onion, green part of leeks, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and let simmer for one hour. As the broth cooks, skim off and discard any scum, foam and fat that rises to the surface.
- Strain the broth into a clean kettle, discarding the solids, and skim off all fat from the top. Bring to the boil and add the diced carrots, diced celery, white part of leeks, finely chopped onion, tomatoes, zucchini and garlic. Let simmer about 10 minutes, then add the orzo. Continue cooking five minutes and add the corn kernels and cubed turkey meat Continue cooking 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Serve with the grated Parmesan cheese on the side.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 135.7, Fat 2.7, SaturatedFat 1.1, Cholesterol 12.7, Sodium 327.3, Carbohydrate 20.9, Fiber 3.2, Sugar 4.8, Protein 8.3
DAY-AFTER TURKEY SOUP
This soup with lots of shredded kale makes great use of leftover turkey. If you've already frozen the carcass, there's no need to thaw it out before using it in this recipe.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Soups, Stews & Stocks Soup Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Place the carcass in a large soup pot or stockpot and add cold water to cover by 2 inches (about 14 cups). Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.
- Add carrots, celery, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary. Return to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until the broth is rich and flavorful, about 2 hours.
- With a wire skimmer, remove and discard turkey carcass and vegetables. Strain and transfer 8 cups of broth to a large saucepan; freeze the remainder.
- Bring broth to a boil over high heat. Add red-pepper flakes and remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary; season with salt. Add kale, reduce to a simmer, and cook until kale is tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in turkey, corn, beans, and scallions and cook just until corn is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt, if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 269 g, Fat 7 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 26 g
AFTER-THANKSGIVING TURKEY SOUP
As much as my family loves the holidays, they look forward to this creamy leftover Thanksgiving soup even more. It makes a big batch that we can enjoy for days. -Valorie Walker, Bradley, South Carolina
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Lunch
Time 2h45m
Yield 16 servings (about 4 quarts).
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Place turkey carcass in a soup kettle or Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove carcass; cool. Set aside 3 qt. broth. Remove turkey from bones and cut into bite-size pieces; set aside., In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, saute the onions, carrots and celery in butter until tender. Reduce heat; stir in flour until blended. Gradually add 1 qt. of reserved broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened., Add cream, rice, salt, bouillon, pepper, remaining broth and reserved turkey. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until rice is tender.
Nutrition Facts :
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: This will make a big difference in the flavor of your soup. Use fresh vegetables, a good quality broth, and flavorful herbs and spices.
- Don't be afraid to experiment: There are many different ways to make turkey soup. You can add different vegetables, herbs, and spices to create a soup that is uniquely your own.
- Don't overcook the turkey: Overcooked turkey will be tough and dry. Cook it just until it is cooked through.
- Let the soup simmer for a while: This will allow the flavors to meld and develop.
- Serve the soup with a variety of toppings: This could include things like bread, crackers, cheese, or sour cream.
Conclusion:
Turkey soup is a delicious and nutritious way to use up leftover turkey. It is also a great way to warm up on a cold day. With a few simple tips, you can make a turkey soup that your whole family will love. Give one of these recipes a try and let me know what you think!
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love