Do something different with your Thanksgiving leftovers this year. Creamy Turkey Stew over mashed potatoes (or stuffing!) is comfort food at its finest. The broth is seasoned with leftover gravy (you read that right!) for a seriously rich and flavor leftover turkey soup recipe.
I know plenty of people who look forward more to Thanksgiving leftovers than they do the actual meal. And who can blame them? The pressure is off! You don’t have to coordinate; you don’t have to cook… but also, cold leftover roast Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches are unicorns of the sandwich world.
But conditions have to be absolutely right for them to be perfect. If Aunt Helen squirreled away the remaining sweet potatoes, or your partner woke up at 3 a.m. and ate the rest of the white meat, you’re screwed. So now you’ve come full circle and you’re back to needing a plan.
Leftover Turkey Stew, on the other hand…now here’s a day-after dish you don’t need to fret about. It takes the Thanksgiving bowl concept to a new level of comfort you didn’t know you needed. I certainly didn’t know I needed it until hosting Thanksgiving on Thursday and battling shoppers Black Friday, but this stuff hit harder than a cocktail.
I don’t know what’s more important to tell you (1) that this Thanksgiving turkey stew HAS GRAVY IN IT or (2) that I wept tears of joy because it was so fast and easy to make. So there, take both those nuggets and do with them what you will.
This creamy turkey soup doesn’t discriminate – it is simultaneously velvety and chunky. You can use either light or dark meat or both, and you don’t need carver-quality slices. You can pour it over either stuffing or mashed potatoes (or both!), whatever you’ve got plenty of.
I’m not saying you’ll skip the leftover Thanksgiving sandwiches, but I am saying you should reconsider the second leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich and invest your assets in this pot of golden creamy goodness instead.
For a condensed post with “just the recipe” (and a few tips, too!) click to view the web story for this recipe.
The holidays have come and gone, and now you’re staring at a fridge full of leftovers wondering what to do with them. As a food blogger and home cook, I’ve tried many ways to repurpose leftovers into delicious new dishes. One of my favorite go-to’s is turning leftover turkey and gravy into a hearty and comforting soup. This satisfying soup lets you stretch your holiday leftovers into an easy family meal. Keep reading for my tips on making turkey soup with gravy from leftovers.
Turkey Soup – Frugal and Flavorful
Turkey soup made with leftovers is a great way to reduce food waste and save money. Rather than tossing unused turkey parts and gravy in the trash you can transform them into a nutritious, budget-friendly soup. Turkey provides a lean protein while the veggies add vitamins and fiber. The best part is that soup freezes beautifully, so you can enjoy this simple meal even weeks after the holidays have passed. It makes great use of ingredients you already have on hand.
Tips for Turkey and Gravy Soup
When crafting your turkey soup there are a few tips to follow
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Use the whole turkey – Don’t just use the breast meat. Thighs, legs, wings, and even the carcass can go into the stock pot. The bones and cartilage will impart lots of flavor.
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Sauté the veggies – Onions, carrots, celery, and garlic provide an aromatic base. Sauté them briefly before adding broth for extra depth.
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Simmer the stock – Letting the bones, turkey parts, and vegetables simmer for an hour or two extracts the most flavor.
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Shred the meat – Once cooked, shred or dice the turkey into bite-sized pieces using forks or your fingers.
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Finish with gravy – Stir in leftover gravy just before serving to add richness without making the broth too thick.
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Embellish as desired – Try adding potatoes, rice, pasta or pearl barley to make it heartier. Other veggies like peas or corn also work.
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Season thoughtfully – Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Turkey gravy can be quite salty so go easy on extra salt. Pepper, thyme, sage and rosemary complement without overpowering.
Sample Turkey and Gravy Soup Recipe
To give you an idea of how easy this soup is to make, here is a simple recipe you can try:
Ingredients:
- Turkey carcass and bones
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 8 cups water or turkey stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups shredded leftover turkey
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1⁄4 cup pearl barley or small pasta (optional)
- 1⁄4 cup leftover turkey gravy
Instructions:
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In a large pot, combine turkey bones, onion, carrots, celery, water or stock, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 1-2 hours.
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Remove bones and bay leaves. Add shredded turkey, peas, barley or pasta, and gravy. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until heated through.
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Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve hot.
This simple recipe highlights the key steps for deliciously repurposing your leftover turkey and gravy. But feel free to get creative with ingredients based on what you have available. The options are endless!
Make Stock from the Carcass
One shortcut for intensifying flavor is to make turkey stock from the carcass before using it in soup. Here’s how:
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Break up the cooked turkey carcass into pieces. Place in a large pot along with any extra turkey bones.
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Add any turkey skin, wings, drumsticks or other parts. Toss in a few onion skins, celery leaves or herb sprigs for extra flavor.
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Pour in enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 2-3 hours.
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Strain out the solids and you’ll be left with a rich homemade turkey stock, perfect for soup.
Get Creative with Leftovers
Beyond turkey and gravy, you can also use up other holiday leftovers in your soup. Consider adding any of the following:
- Diced bread stuffing
- Cranberry sauce
- Mashed potatoes
- Cooked winter squash or sweet potatoes
- Green beans
- Corn
- Diced apples or pears
The possibilities are endless! Soup is a great “clean out the fridge” meal.
Enjoy Leftover Soup All Week Long
The great thing about soup is that it lasts for several days in the fridge or can be frozen for longer storage. Here are some serving ideas:
- Enjoy a steamy bowl for lunch with crusty bread or a sandwich
- Pair it with a salad or baked potato for dinner
- Take single-serve portions in a thermos for easy work lunches
- Freeze extra portions for busy nights or when unexpected guests stop by
Serving Suggestions for Turkey Stew
Keep the holiday spirit alive! This leftover turkey stew is amazing served over your other Thanksgiving leftovers. None left? Make more:
How to Make Creamy Turkey Stew
Comforting and creamy Turkey Stew over mashed potatoes takes day-after dining to a delicious new level. But don’t just wait for leftovers! This dutch oven turkey stew recipe is so good, it’s worth roasting a whole new turkey (or whipping up an Instant Pot Turkey Breast) just to make it.
- Heat pot over medium high heat. Melt butter until it foams. Toss onion, celery, and carrots in the fat to coat. Saute, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring continuously, 1 minute more.
- Sprinkle flour over vegetables. Work the flour in with your spoon and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Deglaze pot with dry white white. Scrape up any browned bits and dissolve flour.
- Add broth and leftover gravy, then add leftover turkey. Stir to combine. Add herb bundle to pot.
- Increase the heat, bring to a simmer, and cook 20 minutes.
- Remove soup from heat and remove herbs. Stir in the heavy cream. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Ladle over mashed potatoes or stuffing and enjoy!
- Gravy. In. The. Soup. This is not a typo. This is not a suggestion. It will take the broth situation to a whole new level of leftover joy.
- If you don’t have any wine, or don’t want to use it, substitute an additional half cup of broth.
- Reserve seasoning with salt and pepper until the end – gravy can be very salty.
Fridge: store the leftover leftovers (ha!) in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Gently reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, or the stove over medium heat.
Freezer: perhaps the best part of this leftovers recipe is that you can absolutely make a batch of this stew and freeze it for a cozy meal down the road. Omit the cream, then freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Defrost, reheat in a soup pot over medium heat, and then add the cream just before serving.
Creamy Leftover Turkey Stew
FAQ
Can you use leftover gravy in soup?
Can I make soup with 4 day old turkey?
How long is leftover turkey and gravy good for?
What to do with leftover turkey meat after Thanksgiving?
Easy Leftover Turkey Soup is warm and comforting. With tender turkey, loads of vegetables, and a great mix of savory seasonings, it’s the perfect way to feed the whole family during the busy holidays! This homemade Turkey Soup recipe is the perfect answer to what feels like a mountain of leftover turkey meat after Thanksgiving!
How do you cook Turkey noodle soup?
Stir in the noodles, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until they’re tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the turkey and parsley; cook until the meat is just heated. Add the gravy, if using, then taste and season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve hot with a sprinkle of parsley.
Should you throw out turkey gravy?
Lots of families make a big batch of turkey gravy during Thanksgiving or Christmas to complement a serving of delicious poultry. And since people make large amounts of food for the holidays, it’s likely you’ll have a bunch of leftover turkey gravy, too! There’s no need to throw out the gravy.
How do you make a Turkey Pie with gravy?
Instructions: Lay cooked fries on a plate, sprinkle cheese curds on top, and pour hot gravy over it. Instructions: Mix turkey and veggies with gravy. Pour into a pie dish and cover with pie crust. Bake until golden. Instructions: In a skillet, combine gravy, cream, and turkey. Pour over pasta and serve. Instructions: Cook rice in gravy until soft.