When I’m looking for ways to repurpose leftover Thanksgiving turkey, I turn to favorites such as turkey salad, turkey casserole, turkey pasta carbonara or this hearty and comforting turkey noodle soup. Every year when Thanksgiving rolls around, I use my leftovers to make turkey noodle soup. The whole family loves this soup recipe, and it’s a great way to make sure no food goes to waste!
Turkey Noodle Soup Ingredients
To make the turkey broth, you will need a turkey carcass, onion, carrot, celery, kosher salt, black peppercorns, parsley, thyme, garlic and a bay leaf. For the soup, you will need the turkey broth, butter, onion, celery, garlic, carrot, Italian seasoning, diced leftover turkey meat, kosher salt, black pepper, rotini pasta and fresh parsley.
How Do You Make Turkey Noodle Soup?
Start by simmering the turkey carcass with vegetables in a large soup pot to make a homemade broth. Melt butter in a large pot, then add carrots, onions and celery. After the vegetables are tender, add diced turkey meat, seasonings and the homemade broth. Simmer the soup until the vegetables are tender, then add the pasta. Boil until the pasta is tender, then sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Tips for the perfect soup
No time to make turkey broth? Store bought chicken broth or turkey broth will also work just fine. Turkey noodle soup will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for 2 months. If you’re planning to freeze the soup, you may want to omit the noodles, then add them later to the thawed soup when you reheat it. Serve your soup with side dishes such as avocado corn salad, red cabbage slaw, garlic knots or cucumber dill salad to complete the meal. You can also make this soup in a slow cooker. Add the vegetables, broth, turkey and seasonings to a crock pot, then cook on low for 2-4 hours. Add the noodles during the last 20 minutes of the cooking time. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve. Be sure to check out my comprehensive list of leftover turkey recipes for more great ideas!
Turkey noodle soup flavor variations
While this soup is delicious as-is, you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
Protein: Swap out the turkey for chicken, or add a can of white beans for extra protein. Vegetables: Feel free to add more veggies to the mix such as corn, a can of diced tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, mushrooms or butternut squash. Fresh spinach or kale also pair nicely with the turkey and pasta. Flavorings: You can add other herbs and spices such as rosemary, sage, garlic powder, paprika or onion powder. Noodles: I use rotini pasta, but other great options include orzo, shell pasta, egg noodles or farfalle. You can also swap out the noodles for rice.
This turkey noodle soup is so delicious that I make it year round! It’s a comfort food classic that’s always a big hit with both kids and adults.
Turkey Noodle Soup Video
