Fast Answer
Leftover turkey soup is turkey stock, vegetables and shredded turkey simmered together. If you already have stock, it takes about an hour. Starting from the carcass takes most of a day. Add the vegetables in stages so they stay tender but not mushy.
Two Ways to Make Leftover Turkey Soup
There are two soups here. The quick one is Paula’s, from Thanksgiving 2010. Paula is the friend from Mexico who has taught me a lot about Mexican-style cooking. It takes about an hour if you already have turkey stock.
The other starts with the carcass itself and takes most of a day. Both work. This time, I changed the timing: the vegetables go in late, so they stay vegetables.
Start Here
- Already have turkey stock? Make Paula's quick soup, about an hour.
- Starting from the carcass? Make the all-day version, and plan on most of a day.
- Add the vegetables in stages, not all at once.
- Salt at the end, after the broth has reduced.
Paula’s Quick Turkey Soup
Ingredients
- 2 quarts turkey stock
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 3 carrots sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- handful snap peas trimmed
- 2 cups shredded turkey meat that came off the carcass.
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Start the Base
- Bring the turkey stock to a simmer. Add the onion, celery and garlic and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the Carrots
- Add the carrots and simmer for another 15 minutes, until tender.
Add the Turkey and Snap Peas
- Add the shredded turkey and simmer for 5 minutes to heat it through. Add the snap peas for the last 2 to 3 minutes.
Finish
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
All-Day Turkey Carcass Soup With Winter Vegetables
Equipment
- Heavy-Bottomed Soup Pot
Ingredients
- 1 roasted turkey carcass
- water
- bouquet garni
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 1 large parsnip chopped
- 2 turnips chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped celery leaves from stalks
- 6 medium potatoes chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Stock
- Place the carcass, plus any trimmed legs and wings, in a heavy-bottomed soup pot.
- Add enough water to cover the carcass and then some, add the bouquet garni, and simmer until the meat falls off the bone, 4 to 5 hours.
Strain and Pick the Meat
- Remove the bouquet garni and strain. Return the broth to the pot.
- Pull any meat off the bones and add it back.
Add the Root Vegetables
- Add the carrots, parsnip and turnips and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.
Add the Potatoes
- Add the potatoes and simmer for the last 20 to 25 minutes, until tender.
Add the Celery
- Add the celery and celery leaves for the last 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve
- Serve with fresh bread.
Notes
What Most Cooks Get Wrong
- Everything goes in at the start: the vegetables are mush by the time the soup is done.
- Delicate things go in early: snap peas, celery leaves and cilantro lose their flavor if they simmer.
- Salting too early: the soup reduces as it simmers and gets saltier.
- Boiling hard: a gentle simmer keeps the stock clear.
Why This Works
- A roasted carcass simmered for hours gives the stock body, because the bones and skin release collagen that turns to gelatin.
- Staging the vegetables gives each one only as much time as it can take.
- Delicate things go in last, so the soup tastes fresh instead of stewed.
Quick Fixes and Tips
- Soup tastes flat? Add salt a little at a time at the end before adding anything else.
- Soup too thin? Simmer it uncovered for a few minutes to reduce.
- Vegetables already soft? Next time, hold them back. For now, add fresh ones for the last 5 minutes.
- Want more flavor? A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and a splash of dry sherry.
From Readers
- Betty Cox baked the bones with carrots, celery and onion before making the stock, and added Worcestershire sauce and cooking sherry to the finished soup. My take: the carcass has already been roasted once, so I'd skip the extra roasting, but the Worcestershire and sherry are a good idea.
- Georgie stirs in small pasta, rice or pasta-shaped dumplings at the end, taking care not to overcook it.
What to Serve With This
- Fresh bread: for dipping.
- A simple green salad: light after a heavy holiday.
- Grilled cheese sandwiches: the classic with soup.
Storage and Make-Ahead
- Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezes for up to 3 months. Freeze before adding pasta or rice, and add those fresh when you reheat.
- Reheat gently and add a splash of stock if it has thickened.
Frequently Asked Questions About Leftover Turkey Soup
What kind of soup can I make with leftover turkey? Turkey noodle, turkey and rice, turkey vegetable, and turkey minestrone all work. The recipes here are broth-based vegetable soups that you can finish with pasta or rice.
What gives turkey soup more flavor? Start with good stock made from the roasted carcass, add the vegetables in stages, and salt at the end. A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and a splash of dry sherry, a tip from reader Betty Cox, also add depth.
What recipes can I make with leftover cooked turkey? Soup is the easiest, but leftover turkey also works in sandwiches, pot pie, casseroles, hash, and tacos.
Can I make turkey soup without a carcass? Yes. Use low-sodium turkey or chicken stock with shredded leftover turkey. That is the quick version here, and it takes about an hour.
How long does it take to make turkey soup from a carcass? Plan on most of a day. The carcass simmers 4 to 5 hours to make the stock, and the vegetables add about another hour.
How do I keep the vegetables from turning to mush? Add them in stages instead of all at once. Add the onion and celery first, then the carrots, and add delicate things like snap peas, celery leaves, and cilantro at the very end.
When do I add pasta or rice to turkey soup? Add it in the last 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the pasta or rice, and be careful not to overcook it. This tip comes from reader Georgie.
Can I freeze turkey soup? Yes, for up to 3 months. Freeze it before adding pasta or rice, then add those fresh when you reheat it.
3 Responses
I always use the carcass to make soup, but this year I baked the bones in the oven for a couple of hours on low heat with carrots, celery, and onion, then boiled the carcass to make the most amazing rich broth. When making the soup, I added a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and some cooking sherry! Yummy!
Hi Betty, I like the addition of Worcestershire sauce and sherry. And a great idea to roast (bake) the veggies, but since the turkey carcass was already roasted, I’m not sure why you would need to cook it again. – RG
Right at the end, I always throw in a few handfuls of small pasta shapes, a handful of rice, or some of those pasta-shaped dumplings. Make sure not to overcook it.