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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers, Soups and Salads

    Published: Nov 26, 2018 by Dina-Marie · Modified: Nov 13, 2021 8 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

    Turkey Soup - Made With Leftovers

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    This delicious Turkey soup is a great way of getting a comforting, wholesome meal out of leftovers. Use this recipe after Thanksgiving, Christmas or whenever you have a roast dinner, it's so simple, packed with flavor and can even be prepared ahead of time and frozen.

    Turkey Soup - have you tried it? This turkey soup recipe helps you use up leftovers and save money!

    What do you do with your Thanksgiving turkey after you have carved as much meat off as possible? You know there is still some on it. Do you give it to the dogs? Do you toss it?

    Before you do either - try this turkey soup recipe. Served with bread, rolls, or muffins, it is an after Thanksgiving tradition for our family.

    For my turkey soup recipe, I normally put the turkey carcass in the stockpot and cover it with water. Turkey soup is a recipe which takes very little preparation time. I usually simmer it most of the day - it helps warm the house and smells so good!

    Plus, by simmering the bones you also get the benefits of bone broth!

    You can even make turkey soup from a frozen turkey carcass. When I am not planning on using the carcass immediately, I place it in a gallon freezer bag and freeze it for use in this recipe at a  later date.

    Tip For Making This Turkey Soup Recipe

    • Add any leftover vegetable you may have e.g bell peppers, celery, carrots
    • Add extra fresh or dried spices
    • You can also use chicken in the same way
    • After the soup is ready, let it cool then freeze in sealed containers
    • Skip the rice and use as a stock for many other dishes such as stews, casseroles and risottos
    • Paleo version - omit the rice

    This Turkey Soup Recipe is very flexible, just add a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Experiment with your favorite spices and ingredients.

    The basics are the turkey carcass, onions, and rice. I usually throw in what I have on hand and it turns out great every time. It is a real foolproof recipe!

    Turkey Soup Recipe shown made in white bowl on wooden table

    If you’ve tried this Turkey Soup Recipe or any other recipe on Cultured Palate please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YouTube and TWITTER.

    📋 Recipe

    Turkey Soup Recipe shown from overhead

    Turkey Soup

    Cultured Palate

    Delicious and easy to make soup - perfect for holiday leftovers.

    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 50 mins
    Total Time 2 hrs

    Course Soup
    Cuisine American

    Servings 16 servings
    Calories 406 kcal

    Ingredients

      

    • 1 turkey carcass with a little meat left on
    • 4 large onions chopped
    • 4 cups of rice omit for Paleo
    • Celery optional
    • Carrots chopped (optional)
    • Salt to taste
    • Pepper to taste

    Instructions

     

    • Place all ingredients except the rice in stock pot.
    • Add enough water to cover plus several cups.
    • Bring all ingredients except the rice to a boil in a pot larger enough for the turkey carcass and reduce heat to simmer. I use a 3 gallon pot.
    • Simmer 1 - 6 hours.
    • Add the rice 30 minutes before serving.
    • Cook until rice is done.
    • Stir frequently and check water level.
    • Add more water as necessary.
    • I normally will simmer this recipe most if not all day. A slow cooking seems to release more flavor from the carcass and the meat left just falls off.

    Notes

    Tip For Making Turkey Soup
    • For added flair, add a chunk of turkey (or chicken) to each soup bowl and top with sour cream.
    • Add any leftover vegetable you may have e.g bell peppers, celery, carrots
    • Add extra fresh or dried spices
    • You can also use chicken in the same way
    • After the soup is ready, let it cool then freeze in sealed containers 
    • Skip the rice and use as a stock for many other dishes such as stews, casseroles, and risottos
    • You can even make turkey soup from a frozen turkey carcass. When I am not planning on using the carcass immediately, I place it in a gallon freezer bag and freeze it for use in this recipe at a  later date.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 406kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 38gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 183mgPotassium: 453mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 90IUVitamin C: 2.1mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1.8mg

    Keyword quick, Thanksgiving, turkey soup
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Photo Credit:© depositphotos.com/brianchase

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Name: Holly Bowne says

      November 22, 2009 at 6:39 am

      Thanks, great idea! I've never made homemade turkey and rice soup before. I'll give it a whirl.

      Reply
    2. MisAdventuresofMomof3 says

      November 28, 2009 at 11:18 pm

      That sounds amazing! I have so much turkey leftover! Thanks for the recipe.

      new follower from MBC - come and visit me!

      Reply
    3. christine says

      September 29, 2013 at 10:19 am

      love your blog! i would also add a tablespoon or so of apple cider vinegar to the water when boiling a carcass.

      Reply
    4. Emily says

      March 14, 2018 at 6:53 am

      5 stars
      Oh I love that you add rice what a great idea. Can't wait to try this!

      Reply
      • Dina-Marie says

        March 14, 2018 at 5:57 pm

        So Glad, Emily - it is a tradition at our house anytime we have a turkey!

        Reply

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