Our easy to adapt Leftover Turkey Soup is one of the best ways to use up leftovers from Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner and it is ready in under 20 minutes. A filling and hearty turkey soup that is quick to make and it makes a nice change from all the rich indulgent food during the festive season.
We always have plenty of leftover turkey at Christmas and after we have had a few leftovers sandwiches, we are craving something a little healthier.
A base of carrot, celery and shallots with shredded turkey leftovers and a flavour packed stock, this turkey soup recipe is delicious and nutritious.
We then bulked it out with some pasta to make it more filling. It's kind of a festive twist on chicken noodle soup. But other grains work too.
It doesn't get much cheaper than this. Leftovers and a few kitchen staples and you have a delicious soup. One of our favourite leftover turkey recipes. If you have guests over for Christmas and the days that follow, make up a big batch of this. I guarantee it will be a hit!
If you are looking for other soup recipes to try, why not try our Potato and Leek Soup, Creamy Vegetable Soup, or Carrot and Lentil Soup?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Shallots - These add a nice sweetness to the turkey soup with leftovers. You could swap them for a small brown onion instead if that is all you have.
- Carrots - These add a nice chunky texture to the turkey soup. If you are making it for younger children, then you can dice the carrot. You could add courgette, corn, leeks or parsnips too.
- Celery - Not everyone likes celery (and some people are allergic), so it can be left out, but we find it adds lots of flavour.
- Garlic - Fresh is always best, however save yourself some time by using crushed lazy garlic that you can keep in the fridge.
- Thyme - This adds so much flavour to the leftover turkey soup. Fresh is best, however dried can be used instead. If you don't have thyme, you could swap it for fresh rosemary.
- Stock - We used a really good quality stock pot to save some time. However, if you have a bit longer then you can make your own stock using the turkey carcass. You can also use our Chicken Stock recipe.
- Turkey - If you don't have leftover turkey then you can use leftover chicken instead.
- Pasta - Tiny pasta shells really bulk this soup out, however we have given suggestions below on what else you can use.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How to Make Turkey Soup Using Leftovers - Step by Step
- Step 1: Add the oil to a large soup pan and heat. Once hot, add the shallots, celery, carrot, garlic and thyme and cook gently for 4-5 minutes, until softened.
- Step 2: Add the shredded turkey.
- Step 3: Add the stock and seasoning.
- Step 4: Add the pasta and cook over a low heat for 10-12 minutes, until the pasta is cooked.
Leftover Shredded Turkey
This soup is a great way to use up leftover turkey from Christmas or thanksgiving. You can use any part of the turkey, however using the breast will keep this soup nice and lean. Although, the legs will give the soup more flavour. You can use leftovers from our Roasted Turkey Breast, Slow Cooker Turkey Crown or Air Fryer Turkey.
If you aren't having turkey at Christmas and you are having chicken instead, then you can use shredded chicken in this recipe. Why not try our Best Roast Chicken Recipe?
How to Bulk Out the Soup
The great thing about this leftover turkey soup recipe is how filling it is. That is down to the addition of pasta. We used the smallest shells that we could find, however you could use chunkier pasta shapes. It's a great way to use whatever you have in the cupboard.
Some other things that you can add to this are:
- Rice - white, brown or wild rice all work
- Giant couscous - also known as Israeli couscous, this makes the soup look really presentable. We wouldn't recommend using regular couscous, as it will get lost in the soup.
- Noodles - this is a twist on chicken noodle soup, so why not add some noodles?
- Beans - chickpeas or butter beans add a protein boost to this soup.
- Orzo - this is kind of a cross between rice and pasta.
Serving Suggestions
This is pretty hearty and filling as it is, as we have bulked it out with pasta. But, soup needs some bread to scoop it up with in our opinion.
We served it with some slices of crusty sourdough smothered in butter. But ciabatta, our Easy Bagels, Slow Cooker Bread or a Simple White Loaf will work too.
You could also make our Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia to go with it.
If you fancy something a little different, then make your own garlic bread by spreading some homemade garlic butter on chunks of French stick and putting it until the grill.
The garlic flavours go perfectly with the leftover turkey soup. Or try our Cheesy Garlic Bread or Air Fryer Garlic Bread.
Extra Tips
- If making this for small children, leave out the extra salt and use low salt stock.
- If you don't have any fresh thyme, then you can use dried instead. But it won't have the same flavour, as it isn't cooked for long enough to let the flavours of the dried herb to come out.
- To add extra flavour, you can cook the shallots, carrots and celery in a mixture of butter and oil.
- If you don't want to add pasta, you can use rice instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this turkey soup can easily be made in the slow cooker. Follow the first step and then put everything in the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours.
If you prefer your soup a little thicker, then you can add a cornstarch slurry.
If you love creamy and indulgent soups, then you could stir some double cream or creme fraiche and some grated cheddar or parmesan into the soup before serving. This will change the nutritional value considerably though.
As this soup uses leftover turkey, it will need to be eaten right away as the turkey has already been reheated once.
More Leftovers Turkey Recipes
If you’ve tried this leftover turkey soup recipe, then let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Leftover Turkey Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 4 Shallots - diced
- 2 Carrot - small; sliced thinly
- 1 Celery - sliced thinly
- 2 Garlic clove - crushed
- 3 sprig Thyme - chopped
- 1.5 l (6 cups) Chicken stock
- 200 g (1.5 cups) Leftover turkey - shredded
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
- 50 g (1 cups) Tiny pasta pieces
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon Olive oil to a large soup pan and heat. Once hot, add 4 Shallots, 1 Celery, 2 Carrot, 2 Garlic clove and 3 sprig Thyme and cook gently for 4-5 minutes, until softened.
- Add 200 g Leftover turkey, 1.5 l Chicken stock and 1 pinch Sea salt.
- Add 50 g Tiny pasta pieces and cook over a low heat for 10-12 minutes, until the pasta is cooked.
Recipe Tips
- If making this for small children, leave out the extra salt and use low salt stock.
- If you don't have any fresh thyme, then you can use dried instead. But it won't have the same flavour, as it isn't cooked for long enough to let the flavours of the dried herb to come out.
- To add extra flavour, you can cook the shallots, carrots and celery in a mixture of butter and oil.
- If you don't want to add pasta, you can use rice instead.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Susan Cullerton-Wass says
Made this, added a little red pepper and a few green beans, no small pasta so broke up some spaghetti strands. Used Italian herbs as only dried thyme to hand. Result delicious
Alison says
I love recipes like these that use up your leftovers! Super taste and simple too!