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Comforting Leftover Turkey Soup

A close-up of a bowl of hearty leftover turkey soup, filled with shredded turkey, carrots, celery, and herbs.
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Transform your Thanksgiving turkey scraps into a soul-warming soup with this classic American recipe. This recipe focuses on creating a rich broth from the carcass and adding your favorite vegetables and turkey meat for a delicious post-holiday meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 leftover turkey carcass, broken into pieces
  • 12 cups water
  • 1 large onion, quartered
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups shredded leftover cooked turkey meat
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped green beans (optional)
  • 1 cup corn (optional)
  • 1/2 cup egg noodles or cooked rice (optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Place the turkey carcass pieces in a large stockpot. Add water, quartered onion, roughly chopped carrots and celery, black peppercorns, and bay leaf.
  2. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 hours, to create a rich broth. Skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface during simmering.
  3. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot or large bowl. Discard the solids. You should have about 8-10 cups of broth.
  4. Return the strained broth to the stockpot. Add the shredded turkey meat, chopped carrots, chopped celery, green beans (if using), and corn (if using).
  5. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
  6. If using noodles or rice, add them during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, according to package directions.
  7. Season the soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste.
  8. Stir in the fresh parsley just before serving.

Notes

  • For a clearer broth, you can strain it a second time through cheesecloth.
  • Feel free to add other leftover cooked vegetables you may have.
  • This soup is a great way to practice meal planning for the week ahead.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://recipestokeep.com/leftover-turkey-soup/