After a day or two of consuming Thanksgiving leftovers, I’m often prepared for one thing completely different. That’s after I flip to this leftover turkey soup. It’s made with loads of veggies and holiday-inspired seasonings, so it’s flavorful, nourishing, and most significantly… straightforward.
I’ve been making this recipe for at the least 5 years, and it’s the sort of soup you’ll be able to tweak with what you’ve got available. I often use cauliflower to maintain it lighter, however you need to use potatoes in case you choose a heartier texture.
I additionally wish to stir in some coconut milk for dairy-free creaminess, since I often have {a partially} opened can in my fridge. Should you don’t have that, it’s nonetheless scrumptious as a broth-based soup, and both means, it’s naturally gluten-free.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Evaluate
“We made this after Thanksgiving and the entire household, together with 8 and 5 yr previous youngsters, beloved it. Thanks!” – Lena
Substances for Turkey Soup with leftover Turkey
- Turkey. This recipe assumes you’ve got leftover cooked turkey to make use of up. You should utilize white or darkish meat, and you probably have kind of than this recipe suggests, that’s okay. Consider this soup as a “select your individual journey” kind of meal.
- Veggies. Onion, carrot, and celery are the basic trio for beginning a soup. I additionally like so as to add a pound of cauliflower to bulk it up, however as a couple of readers have prompt within the feedback, you could possibly use small potato chunks as an alternative.
- Dried Spices. I’m not going to ask you to cut any recent herbs at this time. This recipe requires dried sage, thyme, purple pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to maintain it handy.
- Garlic. Freshly minced garlic is sauteed with the dried spices to raise the flavour. You might use garlic powder in a pinch, although.
- Coconut Milk. That is non-obligatory, for added creaminess. If you’d like a creamy soup and not using a trace of coconut taste, you may make this with heavy cream as an alternative.
The best way to Make Leftover Turkey Soup
Step 1:
Warmth a big pot over medium-high warmth for 1 to 2 minutes. This can assist make the floor extra non-stick earlier than you get began. Then add a drizzle of olive oil and prepare dinner the onion, carrot, and celery till they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Then, add the minced garlic, dried sage, thyme, and purple pepper flakes. Stir till they odor aromatic, about 1 extra minute.
Step 2:
Subsequent, add the chopped cauliflower florets, water, chopped leftover turkey, and season with salt and black pepper. Deliver the liquid to a boil.
As soon as the soup is boiling, decrease the warmth and canopy the pot. Let the soup simmer, lined, till the cauliflower is tender, about 15 to twenty minutes.
Step 3:
When the timer goes off, examine on the cauliflower with a fork. It ought to simply slide into the cauliflower items when they’re tender. Stir within the coconut milk for a creamy soup.
Should you’re skipping the coconut milk, it’s possible you’ll need to add a bit of extra water for additional broth. Season with salt to style after including the liquid. It’s able to function quickly as you’re proud of the flavour.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion , chopped
- 4 carrots , chopped
- 5 celery stalks , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- ¾ teaspoon floor sage
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon crushed purple pepper flakes
- 1 pound cauliflower , minimize into florets
- 5 to six cups water
- 2 cups leftover turkey , shredded or minimize into small items
- tremendous sea salt and black pepper
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk (non-obligatory for creaminess)
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Warmth the olive oil in a big pot over excessive warmth, then saute the onion, carrots, and celery till they soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, thyme, and purple pepper flakes, and stir for 1 extra minute, till aromatic.
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Subsequent, add the cauliflower, 5 cups of water, shredded turkey, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, and ½ teaspoon of floor black pepper. (If the turkey and veggies do not look lined, add one other cup of water.) Then convey the liquid to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, cowl the pot and decrease the warmth to a delicate simmer. Cook dinner till the cauliflower is fork-tender, about 15 to twenty minutes.
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Take away the lid and stir within the non-obligatory coconut milk. Style the soup and alter any seasoning as wanted. (I often add one other ½ to 1 teaspoon of salt if I’ve used 6 cups of water plus the coconut milk.) As quickly as you are proud of the flavour, it is able to serve.
Turkey Security Tip: In line with the FDA, leftover turkey may be saved within the fridge for as much as 4 days. This implies if Thanksgiving is on Thursday, you need to use it or freeze it by Monday. I’d assume the identical guidelines for this soup. Should you’re utilizing leftover turkey from Thursday, make the soup on Saturday and end it or freeze it by Monday. (Turkey may be frozen for 3 to six months; soup can, too!)
Replace Observe: This recipe was up to date in 2025 so as to add extra liquid for the broth. It initially referred to as for 4 cups of water, however through the years, I’ve discovered myself wanting extra broth, so I often add 6 cups whole.
Energy: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 15g | Fats: 10g | Saturated Fats: 5g | Ldl cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 710mg | Potassium: 546mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7000IU | Vitamin C: 28.5mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1.9mg
Extra Recipes to Strive
Should you do that leftover turkey soup, please go away a remark and star ranking beneath to let me understand how you prefer it.
