Go Back
–+ servings
Leftover turkey recipe

Leftover Turkey Soup

This leftover turkey soup recipe perfectly transforms your leftover Thanksgiving turkey into a hearty, comforting soup.
4.75 from 8 votes
Print Pin Share on Facebook
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive time: 1 day 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 day 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 239kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Stock (optional to make; can use chicken broth instead):

  • 1 turkey carcass
  • Water
  • Salt

Soup:

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
  • 4 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 4 ribs celery, trimmed and diced
  • 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 5 sprigs thyme, bundled together with kitchen twine
  • 6-7 cups prepared stock from above or use chicken broth
  • 4 cups chopped or shredded leftover turkey; use in addition to any meat you pull off the turkey carcass
  • ¾ cup pastina or ditalini
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, minced
  • Big pinch of fennel fronds, minced
  • Crushed red pepper to taste
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

Make the stock:

  • Cover the turkey carcass in a large stockpot with 12 cups of water. You may need more depending on the size of the carcass. Try to immerse the bird with water, but if your pot isn’t big enough, it’s ok if the back bone sticks out a bit. Add a big pinch of salt to the water.
  • Bring to a boil and then simmer for 2-3 hours. You may wish to flip the bird once during simmering. The liquid should be reduced by almost half.
  • Cover the pot (with foil, if the turkey is sticking out) and transfer to the refrigerator overnight.
  • The next day, remove the carcass from the stock. Pick off any remaining meat and set it aside in a bowl to be added to the soup. Discard the carcass.
  • If the stock is very gelatinous, place it on the heat over medium-high just until the gelatin melts, and the stock returns to a liquid. Turn off the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
  • Give the pot a quick rinse and wipe it out. Return it to the stovetop.

Cook the soup aromatics:

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the bundle of thyme.

Simmer the soup:

  • Pour in the prepared stock and all of the chopped turkey. Add salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme.

Finish the soup:

  • Return the soup to a boil. Add the pastina and cook for 3-4 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper.
  • Finish the soup by adding parsley, fennel fronds, and lemon juice.

To serve:

  • Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with lemon wedges and minced parsley on the side. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 164mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 22mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @triedandtruerecipes or tag #triedandtruerecipes so I can feature you in my feed!