Looking for leftover turkey recipes? This leftover turkey udon soup is a really creative, tasty way to use up all that Thanksgiving turkey!
I did my thanksgiving this past Saturday, and I now have turkey coming out of my ears. I’ve been trying to devise creative ways to use leftovers that go beyond the leftover sandwich or turkey salad. Not that the sandwich isn’t delicious, but you can only eat so many while you still have a mountain of turkey staring you down in the fridge before you start to feel like it’ll be an impossible task to eat it all.
And so, this version of turkey noodle soup was born. I’ve found that with leftover turkey, finding ways to inject some spice into it really helps liven it up. The breast, in particular, continues to dry out a bit in the fridge, so cooking it in broth helps bring it back to life. By the time it was all said and done, I found that I almost liked this soup better than my whole turkey dinner.
How to make this leftover turkey udon soup recipe:
But first, a warning: Don’t be an idiot like me and throw away your turkey carcass. Save it and make stock from it. I was exhausted from cooking, and I just completely spaced out while I was cleaning up. You can make the turkey stock and then use it as the base for this soup instead of store-bought chicken stock or water.
The recipe itself is just a few simple components and will have you using up that leftover turkey AND some of your leftover homemade cranberry sauce.
First, we make a broth with shallots, water or stock, shichimi togarashi, orange peel, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Once the broth is ready to simmer, throw in your cooked turkey.
Next, make the cranberries and carrot garnish. Simply simmer the cranberries with some more fresh orange juice, chili oil, and shichimi togarashi. The carrots are simply julienned and tossed with chili oil and salt.
While the broth continues to simmer, cook up the noodles and your jammy eggs.
To finish the broth, add the mirin, miso, sesame, and tamari to the broth and taste it once more. That’s it!
Finish the udon with a big drizzle of chili oil. I love this roasted chili oil because it’s so flavorful without being overpoweringly spicy.
Leftover Turkey Udon Soup
Equipment
- Large pot
- Small saucepan
- Medium pot
Ingredients
- 1 orange divided
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 large shallots peeled and thinly sliced into wedges
- 8 cups water turkey stock, or chicken stock
- 2½ cups leftover turkey cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup prepared cranberry sauce
- 2 carrots peeled and julienned
- Chili oil to taste
- Shichimi togarashi to taste
- 12 ounces udon noodles cooked according to package instructions
- 4 eggs for serving
- ¼ cup tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin or use a pinch of sugar and a splash of rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon miso
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Prepare the orange:
- Use a peeler to peel off 3 small strips of orange zest and set them aside. Juice the orange into a bowl.
Cook the broth:
- Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil into a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–6 minutes until it softens. Add the strips of orange peel and half of the orange juice. Add a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi or crushed red pepper to taste. Pour in the stock or water. Season with salt and pepper and then bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add the turkey, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Prepare the cranberry sauce and carrots:
- Place the cranberries in a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Once they bubble, reduce the heat to low and add the remaining orange juice. Add the chili oil and another shake or two of shichimi togarashi. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Combine the carrots in a bowl and add a sprinkle of salt. Drizzle with 1–2 teaspoons of chili oil. Toss to coat and set aside.
Cook the noodles and eggs:
- While the broth simmers, prepare the noodles according to package instructions.
- Cook the eggs for 7–8 minutes in low-boiling water and then add to an ice bath. Peel and then halve lengthwise. Set aside.
Finish the broth:
- Taste the broth and stir in the tamari, mirin, sesame oil, and miso. Once the miso has melted into the broth, turn off the heat. Taste and season once more.
To serve:
- Divide cooked noodles between bowls and place two egg halves on top. Ladle the turkey and broth on top. Serve with cranberry sauce and sliced carrots on top. Enjoy!
