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My turkey carcass soup is a great way to use up all of your leftover turkey! All you need is leftover turkey, pasta, and a handful of common veggies, broth, and seasonings. Making turkey soup from the carcass is a great way to eliminate food waste!
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Turkey Soup from Carcass
One leftover turkey dish you can count on me making every year is my turkey carcass soup. I couldn’t get away with not making it: my family is obsessed with this soup!
This is your classic turkey soup from a carcass. It’s essentially a turkey noodle soup with bone broth, and is perfect for using up holiday leftovers. I don’t like to waste any food, so it feels great being able to make use of the entire turkey and have the meal be as delicious as this soup!
Of course, if you want to make turkey noodle soup another time of year and don’t have a carcass to work with, you can. It’s a great soup for when you’re feeling under the weather and need something to warm you up, no matter what time of year it is, just like classic chicken noodle.
I followed the instructions almost to a T … lol .. strained the broth, then added barley, carrots, and celery, it was so delicious.. when chilled it was all jelly .. that tells me it is a great broth !!! Great recipe… yum yum yum !!
@mlrougeau
Old Fashioned Turkey Soup Ingredients
- Olive Oil: This is used to saute and brown the veggies, an important step to bringing out the best flavors in your soup broth.
- Garlic: Use fresh minced garlic. A garlic press is a great way to easily smash garlic.
- Onion: I recommend white or yellow onion. Avoid red onion. Dice the onion using a sharp chef’s knife.
- Celery Stalks: The celery should also be diced.
- Carrots: Dice the carrots, too. I recommend using fresh whole carrots and not baby carrots.
- Water: An essential part of the soup broth.
- Turkey Carcass: Plus any leftover turkey meat! If you don’t have a turkey carcass, you can use turkey meat and replace the water with equal parts chicken broth (don’t add the bouillon).
- Chicken Bouillon: This will mix with the water to form a delicious, flavorful chicken broth. If you don’t have bouillon or would rather use broth, you can replace the bouillon and water combo with chicken broth instead.
- Seasoning: I use a mix of bay leaves, fresh parsley, kosher salt, and black pepper for seasoning.
- Pasta Noodles: I’m using elbow macaroni, but egg noodles are great, too. You can use your favorite noodles.
How to Make Turkey Soup from the Carcass
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch Oven. Add garlic, onions, celery, carrots, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until browned, about 5-6 minutes. When browned, add half of your water.
- Add parsley, chicken bouillon, and bay leaves. Place turkey carcass on top of the mixture. Add the remaining half of your water and bring to a boil.
- Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. After 2 hours is up, flip the turkey and begin picking pieces off of it into the soup using tongs.
- Remove the whole turkey carcass from the soup and set aside. Add pasta noodles to cook in the soup. Let the turkey carcass rest and cool before picking off more pieces to add back to the soup.
- Once the noodles are cooked, and meat has been added to the soup, stir to remove bay leaves. Keep an eye out for any small bones and remove them. Taste and add more salt and pepper to the broth if needed.
How Long to Boil Turkey Carcass for Soup
Place the turkey carcass in a pot covered in water and bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours. It only needs to come to a boil and does not need to stay at a boil, just a simmer.
Tips for the Best Turkey Soup Recipe
- Use my Turkey Stock Recipe as the base for this soup!
- You can use chicken to make Chicken Bone Broth.
- You can make the broth ahead without adding the noodles to keep it longer. The broth, without the noodles, will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Remove any skin, bones, or cartilage before serving this soup.
- I highly recommend the Our Place Perfect Pot (affiliate) for making this recipe.
- Let the turkey carcass rest and cool before picking off more pieces to add back to the soup!
Turkey Carcass Soup Substitutions
- If you don’t have a turkey carcass, use pieces of turkey meat and replace the water with equal parts chicken broth. Don’t add the bouillon. If you use a salted chicken broth, check the flavor before adding any seasoning of your own.
- Celery, onion, and carrots are staples, but any vegetables you want can be added to make this turkey soup recipe exactly how you like it, like corn or peas.
Homemade Turkey Soup FAQ
If properly stored in the refrigerator, a turkey carcass will last for up to 1 week. Perfect for making turkey soup from a carcass!
Leftover turkey noodle soup will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Turkey soup can be frozen. To freeze turkey carcass soup, let it cool, then add it to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Leave at least a half inch of space at the top of the container for the liquid to expand. Store it in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to use, allow the soup to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating over low heat on the stove or carefully in the microwave.
Try my Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole and Thanksgiving Leftover Pizza, too!
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Recipe
Turkey Carcass Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 onion minced
- 4 celery stalks diced
- 4 large carrots diced
- 12 cups water
- 1 turkey carcass
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes or 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 Tablespoons fresh parsley
- 16 ounces pasta noodles of your choice; I used elbow macaroni
- ¼ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper adjust to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch Oven. Add garlic, onions, celery, and carrots, along with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until browned, about 5-6 minutes. When browned, add half of your water.3 Tablespoons olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, 1 onion, 4 celery stalks, 4 large carrots, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Add turkey carcass, parsley, chicken bouillon, and bay leaves. Add the remaining half of your water and bring to a boil.12 cups water, 1 turkey carcass, 2 bay leaves, 4 Tablespoons fresh parsley, 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. After 2 hours is up, flip the turkey and begin picking pieces off of it into the soup using tongs.
- Remove the turkey carcass from the soup and set aside. Add pasta noodles to cook in the soup. Let the turkey carcass rest and cool before picking off more pieces to add back to the soup.16 ounces pasta noodles
- Once the noodles are cooked and meat has been added to the soup, stir through to remove bay leaves. Keep an eye out for any small bones and remove them. Taste and add more salt and pepper to the broth if needed.
Video
Notes
- You can make the broth ahead of time without adding the noodles to keep it for longer. The broth itself, without the noodles, will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Be sure to remove any skin, bones, or cartilage before serving this soup.
- If you don’t have a turkey carcass, use pieces of turkey meat and replace the water with equal parts chicken broth. Don’t add the bouillon. If you use a salted chicken broth, make sure to check the flavor before adding any seasoning of your own.
- Celery, onion, and carrots are staples, but any vegetables you want can be added to make this turkey soup recipe exactly how you like it, like corn or peas.
- Make sure to let the turkey carcass rest and cool before picking off more pieces to add back to the soup!
Mary Cutrera says
Your recipe is great and almost done in 20 minutes.The taste of the broth is absolutely delicious. I didn’t cover my soup while cooking and wonder if I might add some extra broth to it as I think some of broth might have evaporated while simmering. I also added one turkey leg and one wing while simmering, as my turkey was only 12.4 lbs, just to be sure I have enough soup from a small carcass. I checked several recipes I think yours was the best, as many of the other recipes only called for 6 cups of water. I’m going to cooked the noodles separately.
Em Beitel says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mary! Thank you so much for trying it out and leaving us a comment – and especially for such a high compliment!
Tracy says
This soup is delicious!! I used the carcass of a turkey breast. I used egg noodles which really soaked up the broth so I added some vegetable stock to it. Definitely will make it again!!
Isabel Laessig says
Very happy you enjoyed it, Tracy! Thanks so much!
Jean Balassone says
I used the carcass from a 20 lb. turkey today. Followed recipe exactly except I added one cup of turkey drippings (minus fat) in lieu of one of the cups of water & added extra wide & fine egg noodles.
Super easy & it made a rich, hearty soup. This will be my annual post-Thanksgiving treat from now on. Thanks.
Isabel Laessig says
That is awesome to hear, Jean. I’m so glad you enjoyed it – I make it every year, too!
CJ says
So many just toss the carcass with tons of meat still on it! Farm raised guy here, we wasted nothing! Used to soup bones all the time! Accumulated beef bones and made soup! Casseroles with the meat! 10 thumbs up for posting!!!! It’s delicious to do this!
Isabel Laessig says
Agreed, CJ! I love using everything I can! This soup is so tasty. So glad you enjoyed it!