This leftover turkey and white bean soup is a perfectly simple recipe for using leftover turkey or chicken. It’s easy to throw together and will warm you up on a cold day.
An easy and comforting way to use up leftover turkey
We are about to enter the time of year when our refrigerators overfloweth with turkey leftovers. However, I’ve recently fallen in love with making roasted turkey beasts and using the leftover meat for all sorts of things, like my favorite turkey salad or turkey melts with tomato soup.
How to make this leftover turkey and white bean soup
This turkey and white bean soup is extra simple, which is perfect if you’re totally over cooking but still need to use up all that leftover turkey.
What you need
- Cooked turkey: I used frozen turkey from my roasted brown sugar turkey breast recipe. You can use leftover roasted chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken for this recipe. You need about 1 pound, about 4 cups of diced, cooked meat.
- Vegetables and aromatics: I keep it simple with just onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. You can add potatoes, fennel, red bell peppers, or root vegetables like turnips or rutabagas.
- Chicken broth: I use my homemade chicken broth ice cubes, but you can also use store-bought chicken broth.
- White beans: I use cannellini beans, but any white bean will do here. Try it with navy or Great Northern beans.
- Spinach: You can use any soup green, like kale, escarole, or even arugula.
- Fresh herbs and lemon juice: I finish the soup with fresh dill, oregano, and lemon juice for a bit of herby brightness. You can add freshly minced parsley, chopped basil, or a mix of your favorite herbs.
How to make it
- Step 1: Sauté the aromatics. Cook the carrots, onion, and celery in a little olive oil for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Step 2: Add the diced turkey and toss to combine.
- Step 3: Add your chicken broth. In my case, I added 4 chicken broth ice cubes from homemade chicken broth and then water to create 6 cups of liquid. You can use chicken broth or turkey stock.
- Step 4: Add the white beans. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Step 5: Add the spinach, fresh herbs, and lemon juice. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
You’re ready to serve it up! Ladle the turkey soup into bowls or soup mugs. I love these beautiful large cups from Arte Italica! They’re so beautiful and perfect for a warm mug of soup or a giant latte!
Leftover Turkey and White Bean Soup
This leftover turkey and white bean soup is a perfectly simple recipe for using leftover turkey or chicken. It's easy to throw together and will warm you up on a cold day.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 286kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and diced)
- 3 ribs celery (trimmed and diced)
- 4 carrots (trimmed, peeled, and diced)
- 5 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 1 pound cooked turkey (diced)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 15-ounce can white beans (drained and rinsed)
- 4 ounces baby spinach (roughly chopped)
- ½ cup dill (loosely packed and roughly chopped)
- 1 tablespoon oregano (fresh; roughly chopped)
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook the aromatics:
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the turkey:
- Add the turkey to the pot and toss to combine.
Simmer the soup:
- Add the chicken broth and white beans. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Finish the soup:
- Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings to your preference. Add the spinach, dill, oregano, and lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes until the spinach is bright green and wilted. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
- Ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 227mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 23mg
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