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My Leftover Turkey Carcass Soup recipe is the best way to use leftover turkey! Made with simple ingredients and all in one pot for easy clean up, this turkey noodle soup is a breeze to make and so flavorful.
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Best Leftover Turkey Soup
This time of year, one of my favorite dishes to make is turkey carcass soup. It’s a turkey noodle soup with the same comforting ingredients as classic chicken noodle, and is perfect for using up leftover turkey.
I always make it after the holidays using leftovers! You can make use of every part of the bird by cooking it into this turkey soup recipe. If you don’t have any leftovers or want to make it another time of year, though, you can make my turkey soup without a carcass. It’s a great soup for when you’re feeling under the weather, just like chicken noodle!
There is nothing like curling up on the couch with a cozy blanket and a bowl of homemade turkey soup, watching movies with your family.
Leftover Turkey Soup FAQs
If properly stored in the refrigerator, a turkey carcass will last for up to 1 week. Perfect for making turkey soup from a carcass!
To make turkey soup without a turkey carcass, substitute the water in the recipe with equal parts chicken broth, and don’t add the bouillon.
Turkey carcasses can be frozen for 4 to 6 weeks. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil and label with the freezing date, or store in a freezer safe bag with excess air pushed out. This is a great way to preserve your leftover turkey if you know you want the soup later on!
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, first allow it to cool, then add it to an airtight freezer-safe container. Make sure to leave at least a half inch of space at the top of the container to leave room for the liquid to expand. Store for up to 1 month in the freezer. 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.
How to Make Turkey Soup from Carcass
- 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.
- Add turkey carcass, parsley, chicken bouillon, and bay leaves. 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 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 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.
Soup from Turkey Carcass Recipe Tips
- 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.
- I highly recommend the Our Place Perfect Pot (affiliate) for making this recipe.
- Make sure to let the turkey carcass rest and cool before picking off more pieces to add back to the soup!
Turkey Bone 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, 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.
Best Turkey Recipes
Best Soup Recipes
- Hungarian Mushroom Soup
- Chick-fil-A Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chick-fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
- Leftover Ham Soup
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📋 Recipe
Amazing Turkey Carcass Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Large heavy-bottomed pan or dutch oven
- Wooden spoon
- Tongs
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!
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!