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.
About this turkey soup recipe
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 turkey soup. 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
- Shallots - These add a nice sweetness to the soup. 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.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make leftover turkey soup - Step by step
One: 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.
Two: Add the shredded turkey.
Three: Add the stock and seasoning.
Four: 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 turkey soup 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 leftover turkey soup 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 a pretty hearty and filling soup 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, 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.
FAQs
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.
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.
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 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.
Susan Cullerton-Wass
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
I love recipes like these that use up your leftovers! Super taste and simple too!
Jessica Formicola
Perfect timing! We have so much turkey leftover from Christmas, so I will definitely be using some of it to make this soup!
Neli Howard
I’m all about the “healthier” comfort food these days. Can’t wait to try this one. Thanks for sharing :).
rika
The soup looks so good! I may need to pick up some turkey meat to make this!
Beth
My husband is going to love this recipe! I can't wait to give this a try! So excited!
Luci
Such a delicious turkey soup! It is so filling, tasty, and easy to make. I love to enjoy it on colder days or when I have leftovers!
Jen
This is my favorite soup to make using leftover turkey. I could eat it everyday for lunch. So delicious!
Jen
An absolutely delicious way to use up leftovers. The fresh thyme gave it the soup great flavor.
Mirlene
Comforting is not a strong enough word to describe this recipe and soup. So many delicious flavors.
Claudia Lamascolo
I love how you repurposed leftover turkey and I just happen to have some so this is perfect timing!
Gina
Such a great recipe to transform leftovers, love the mini pasta addition to bulk this up too!
Kushigalu
One of the best recipe to try using leftovers. Looks so delicious too. Thanks foR sharing
Claudia Lamascolo
I love how rich that broth looks in color and it makes my mouth water, I just know its fabulous great photo!
Kechi
Thanks so much for sharing! This recipe is right on time because I have some turkey Leftovers as well from Christmas!
Laura
This is great for leftover turkey. It's so flavorful. I used dried thyme and it was still very aromatic.
Jesse
I love this turkey soup and your tip about adding spinach! We’ll be doing that for sure!