Leftover Turkey Soup (Easy and Nourishing)

For most families the day after Thanksgiving can mean either a full day of Black Friday shopping or (what we do) a relaxing day without any cooking! Thanksgiving leftovers are delicious the first time, but less tempting the fourth meal in a row. This homemade leftover turkey soup recipe is the perfect way to reinvent Thanksgiving leftovers.

This soup helps nourish the body with gut-healing bone broth and veggies, which can be a welcome relief after holiday indulgence. And now that most Black Friday sales are available online, you can eat your leftovers from the comfort of your sofa while shopping!

Turkey Soup From Scratch

The day after Thanksgiving you may have the energy to throw on a pot of homemade turkey stock, or you may not. Our family gets organic pasture-raised turkey, which is usually pricier than conventional birds. The nutrition is well worth it for the price though. To get the most out of the leftover turkey carcass I like to make turkey broth with it.

Simply throw the turkey bones in a slow cooker (or large pot) with some water. You can also add salt, poultry seasoning, and other herbs for flavor. You can find my full recipe for homemade broth here.

If you don’t want to make your own then store-bought broth works just as well. I like this one from Kettle and Fire. You can also use chicken broth for a quick option.

Turkey soup is a great way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. The broth helps to keep the meat moist since turkey is prone to drying out with reheating.

After you have the broth, this recipe is a snap. Throw all the ingredients in a soup pot or Instant Pot, and let the goodness simmer. I’ve also included directions for an Instant Pot version below the recipe.

Turkey Soup Variations

Maybe it isn’t the day after Thanksgiving or your family opted for duck this year. In any case, you can still make this with chicken. A rotisserie chicken works well to turn this into chicken soup.

I use potatoes to add some filling carbs, but you could also add another starch. Gluten-free dumplings or egg noodles make a nice addition. Wild rice or white rice make for a delicious turkey and rice soup. Add some leftover green beans or other veggies if desired. Since this is a leftover soup the idea here is to keep things easy and use what you have!

Turkey Soup Instant Pot Option

Since the turkey is already cooked, this is an easy Instant Pot soup. Use the same ingredients from the above recipe.

1. Saute carrots, celery, and onion for 3-4 minutes in Instant Pot on the saute setting.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients.
3. Seal the Instant Pot and set it for 4 minutes on manual high pressure.
4. Allow a 5 minute natural release, then manually release pressure.
5. Ladle into bowls and serve.

What to Do With Leftover Turkey?

If you still have leftover turkey after soup, put some in the freezer for easy protein another night. Or try one of these yummy recipes. Turkey does great in a variety of soups, stews, and casserole dishes.

• Pumpkin Chili – This recipe uses cinnamon along with traditional chili soup spices for a surprising twist. Instead of ground beef use chopped up turkey in the recipe.
• Paleo Turkey Tetrazzini – The classic dish reinvented with coconut milk in place of dairy and served with a variety of veggies.
• Vegetable Frittata – Add diced turkey and sweet potatoes to this base frittata recipe. Throw in some leftover slivered Brussels sprouts for good measure!
• Broccoli Casserole – Replace the chicken with turkey for a creamy one pan meal.

What are your favorite ways to re-purpose Thanksgiving turkey and other holiday leftovers? I’d love to hear!