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Turkey Noodle Soup

Old-fashioned turkey noodle soup, using your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers, carcass and all.

Turkey noodle soup with spoon in white bowl.

 

I made two soups with Thanksgiving leftovers, mainly the turkey.  Turkey Curry Soup and Turkey Noodle Soup.  Both were really good and both are all gone.  This turkey noodle soup is a great way to use up a bunch of what you already had on hand for the holiday.

Carcass and vegetable ingredients in pot to simmer for broth.

First I made the stock with the carcass, put it in a big pot with an onion, carrot, peppercorns and parsley, and covered it with water.  I let it simmer about 2 hours and then it was golden and flavorful.  You certainly could let it go longer and reduce more for a richer stock, but I like it this way for soup.

Cutting and prepping veggies and herbs on board.

Once the stock is made, you can make the soup.  Start by sautéing the vegetables.  Don't chop them too finely, you want to be able to see and taste the vegetables.  In terms of seasoning, I had fresh sage and thyme on hand, so that's what I used.  Use what you have, dried thyme or poultry seasoning would work, too.

Close up of soup in pot.

When everything has simmered a bit and the vegetables are tender, add the noodles and then the shredded turkey.  I really like frozen homestyle egg noodles, like Reames.  They stay firm and don't get soggy, the kids like them a lot.  That's it, pretty simple.  And very easy to adapt to what you have on hand, I just bought the noodles and celery, everything else I had already.

Pot of turkey noodle soup with ladle.

Good old-fashioned turkey noodle soup, one of the best ways to use up leftovers.  Try adding some hot sauce to your bowl, heaven.  Happy slurping!  Kelly🍴🐦

Turkey soup in white serving bowl.

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Turkey noodle soup with spoon in white bowl.

Turkey Noodle Soup

Old-fashioned turkey noodle soup, using your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers, carcass and all.
4.50 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 344kcal

Ingredients

For the stock:

  • turkey carcass
  • 1 onion unpeeled, cut in half
  • 1 carrot unpeeled, cut in half
  • 1 rib of celery cut in half (save the celery leaves for seasoning the soup later)
  • whole peppercorns
  • a few sprigs of parsley
  • 8 - 10 cups of water to cover
  • kosher salt

For the soup:

  • equal parts chopped carrots onion and celery (about 1 - 1-½ cups each, large dice)
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter or turkey fat (from the stock)
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 8 cups turkey stock
  • 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon chopped celery leaves
  • leftover shredded turkey 1 - 3 cups, whatever you have
  • 12- ounce package frozen homestyle egg noodles, like Reames
  • kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  • Make the turkey stock. Put carcass in a large pot, add onion, carrot, celery, peppercorns, parsley and a generous pinch of salt. Cover with at least 8 cups of water, bring to a boil, then turn down, cover partially and simmer for 1-½ to 2 hours, skimming any impurities that float to the top. Strain stock in a tea towel-lined strainer and set aside. Pull any meat off all those bones, especially the neck, and add to your shredded leftovers. If needed, when the stock cools a bit, skim off any fat (which you can use to sauté the vegetables if you want, instead of butter).
  • In a large stock pot or soup pot, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or turkey fat) and add the onion, carrot and celery. Add a sprinkle of salt and cook until the onions are softened, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute, be careful not to burn.
  • Add the chopped parsley, celery leaves, sage, thyme (or your seasonings of choice), and salt and pepper. Stir and cook for a minute or two. Add 8 cups, more or less, of the turkey stock and bring to a simmer. With lid partially on, simmer until carrots and celery are tender, stirring occasionally, 15 – 20 minutes.
  • Add the frozen egg noodles and simmer another 20 minutes. Stir in the shredded turkey. Heat through and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe Notes

Leftovers of this soup taste great! Just keep in mind the noodles will continue to soak up the broth so you may need to add more when you reheat.

Nutrition

Calories: 344kcal Carbohydrates: 41g Protein: 21g Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 4g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 77mg Sodium: 382mg Potassium: 498mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 6g Vitamin A: 1504IU Vitamin C: 4mg Calcium: 44mg Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe? Please comment, rate it and share! And mention me on Instagram @thehungrybluebird or tag #thehungrybluebird so I can see!

 

Recipe Rating




Ron Heffner

Friday 16th of December 2016

Made this tonight with stock and homemade noodles. Absolutely wonderful! I love the way nothing goes to waste after thanksgiving.

Joanne

Thursday 1st of December 2016

Have never liked turkey soup. This was delious

Mark Wildenhaus

Tuesday 29th of November 2016

Turkey... the gift that keeps on giving.

mark

Thursday 3rd of December 2015

Turkey Redux: a great way for putting a turkey carcass to good use!