Leftover turkey soup is the perfect crockpot meal in a bowl. It is a great way to repurpose your leftover parts to make another wonderful and delicious dish. Nothing goes to waste!
Homemade turkey is a real treat. While a turkey dinner is delicious, arguably, the extra meals that come from the leftovers are the best part. Turkey sandwiches and turkey salad are two great examples.
There is, however, one leftover dish that stands head and shoulders above the rest: turkey soup! Turkey soup is delicious, easy to make and it freezes really well. A big batch of this soup is the perfect recipe to allow your turkey to keep on feeding you. Long after that first meal is done!
It is most definitely one of the best things to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers. However, dont have to wait for Thanksgiving dinner! This leftover turkey soup recipe is awesome any time of year.
Turkey soup made from the leftover carcass is one of the best ways to stretch your holiday bird even further. This hearty and comforting soup is simple to make budget-friendly and so delicious.
I love finding ways to reduce food waste and make the most out of ingredients. Leftover turkey carcasses contain a ton of flavor and nutrients that would otherwise be thrown out. Making homemade broth and soup allows you to get every last bit of goodness from your turkey.
Benefits of Making Turkey Soup With The Carcass
There are many benefits to making homemade turkey broth and soup from the bones:
-
It reduces food waste by using parts of the turkey that would normally be discarded. The carcass, bones, cartilage and any meat scraps left on the bones are perfect for making broth.
-
You end up with delicious and nourishing bone broth at no additional cost. Store-bought broth can’t compare to the homemade version.
-
The collagen and gelatin that is extracted from the bones during the long, slow cooking is very beneficial. This gives the broth body, minerals and also provides gut healing properties.
-
Cooking the carcass makes getting leftover meat off the bones effortless. That turkey meat can then be used in the soup or saved for another recipe.
-
Making a big batch of turkey soup is inexpensive, especially when you already have the main ingredient on hand It’s a frugal and easy meal solution
-
The soup freezes beautifully so you can enjoy bowls of nourishing soup for weeks. It’s fantastic to have on hand for quick lunches or cold weather dinners.
How To Make Turkey Soup In The Crockpot
Making crockpot turkey soup with the leftover carcass is a simple process. Here is an overview of what’s involved:
-
Remove any turkey meat that is still clinging to the bones and reserve it for the soup. Break up the carcass so it fits in your slow cooker if needed.
-
Place the turkey carcass in the slow cooker. Add any vegetable scraps or peelings you may have on hand along with garlic, herbs, peppercorns and ample water.
-
Let it cook on low for 8-12 hours to extract all of the healthy collagen, gelatin, nutrients and flavor from the bones. The longer the better.
-
Remove the carcass and strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer. Pick any remaining meat off the bones.
-
At this point you can use the broth as is or make soup. Add veggies, leftover turkey meat, rice or noodles and simmer until heated through. Season to taste.
And that’s really all there is to it! Let your slow cooker do all of the work for you.
Tips For Making The Best Turkey Soup Broth
-
For maximum flavor, try roasting the carcass and bones at 400°F for 30-60 mins before adding to the slow cooker. This caramelizes the bones.
-
Using an acid like vinegar or lemon juice helps draw out additional nutrients like calcium, magnesium and potassium from the bones. Add a splash at the beginning.
-
Don’t skimp on the water. Cover the bones completely to make a rich and concentrated broth. Use 10-12 cups of water for a 6 quart slow cooker.
-
Adding a few chicken feet to your pot will provide additional collagen for gut healing. This is optional but highly recommended.
-
Flavor boosters like garlic, onion, celery, carrots, herbs and peppercorns take the broth to the next level. Cover with a few sprigs of fresh herbs.
Transforming The Broth Into Soup
Once your homemade turkey broth is ready, here are some tasty soup options:
-
Turkey Noodle Soup – Break spaghetti or egg noodles into bite-size pieces and simmer in the broth until tender. Add cooked shredded turkey, vegetables and seasonings.
-
Turkey Rice Soup – Cook rice separately until halfway done and add to soup with diced carrots, shredded turkey and parsley.
-
Creamy Turkey Soup – For a creamy soup, stir a few tablespoons of heavy cream into each bowl and garnish with chopped fresh chives.
-
Turkey Vegetable Soup – Almost any veggies work well but favorites are carrot, celery, onion, mushrooms, zucchini, peas and spinach.
-
Turkey and Wild Rice Soup – For heartier soup with more texture, add pre-cooked wild rice along with vegetables.
The possibilities are endless when making homemade turkey soup with all those leftovers. It’s simple, frugal and good for you too. Get creative with spices and mix-ins to invent your own signature soup!
| Ingredient/Entity | Frequency |
|---|---|
| turkey carcass | 7 |
| broth | 6 |
| soup | 15 |
| slow cooker | 5 |
| bones | 5 |
| leftover turkey meat | 3 |
| vegetables | 5 |
| garlic | 2 |
| herbs | 3 |
| peppercorns | 2 |
| water | 2 |
| collagen | 2 |
| gelatin | 2 |
| rice | 2 |
| noodles | 2 |
❓❔Why Use A Slow Cooker For This Dish
Slow Cookers are just made for this type of soup. Low and slow cooking is perfect for drawing all of the flavors and nutrients out of a whole turkey carcass. Leftover meat pieces stuck to the bone are a bonus and will fall off the bone during cooking. Let your slow cooker handle the details as your soup cooks.
In addition to leftover turkey, you will need to add the following to your slow cooker:
How To Make Slow Cooker Turkey Soup
This tasty soup can be made right after your turkey dinner by dumping all the ingredients right into your crockpot. No need to worry about storing or dealing with the bones if you take this route.
Too tired from all the cooking and cleaning that goes into a big turkey holiday dinner, no problem! You can refrigerate your leftover thanksgiving turkey and make this the next morning.
Still exhausted the next day? Just freeze your leftover carcass and make this dish whenever your schedule allows.
To make this slow cooker soup, start by adding the turkey carcass to your crockpot. Breaking up the bones just a bit may help them to fit in your slow cooker better and to release some of the goodness found in the bone marrow.
No need to break them up too small, your crockpot will handle that part for you. They will naturally break down a little during the cooking process.
Add cut-up vegetables, seasonings, and fresh herbs with the turkey parts. Fill slow cooker with water to about one inch from the top of the rim. Cover and cook for 10-12 hours. Thats it!
This is a great time to use up whatever vegetables that you may have laying around. For example, when I make this after a holiday, I use veggies leftover from my crudites appetizer. This makes both the soup and clean-up even easier!
Once done cooking, strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or a cheesecloth to remove bones. You now have a wonderful and healthy homemade turkey broth.
Pro tip: Cut up older celery, onion, and carrots before they go bad and freeze them. This way they are always on hand and no vegetables go to waste.
Once your slow cooker turkey soup is ready to go, you can tailor it just about any way you like. If you plan to use it right away, you can put it right back in the slow cooker after straining.
Adding in vegetables and leftover turkey meat is one fantastic and healthy soup option. Throwing in some cooked wide egg noodles to make turkey noodle soup is a fan favorite! As is adding some cooked brown rice or cauliflower rice to make slow cooker turkey rice soup. Serving as a simple, healthy broth is a great option too!
Some great side dishes for this hearty soup include a fresh garden salad and a heel of crusty bread. Sweet corn spoonbread, garlic parmesan mushrooms, or lightly steamed green beans are also the perfect accompaniments.
If you love this recipe, please let me know in the comment section below!
Store leftovers of your delicious turkey soup in an airtight container. This can be accomplished in one large container or in individual serving-sized containers.
Leftover soup will remain fresh for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. If you would like to keep some comforting soup longer, you can freeze it for up to 6 months. For best results, do not freeze soup with pasta or rice in it.
- This easy turkey soup recipe calls for carrots, celery, and onion pieces. If you dont have veggies already cut up, you can keep things extra lazy and purchase them pre-cut. Both fresh and frozen work equally well.
- If you have a lot of leftover turkey, Turkey Buffalo Dip and Green Chili Bake are other great ways to use it up!
- This is a great soup if your people will be eating at different times. It can stay in your slow cooker on the warm setting for a few hours. To serve slow cooker turkey noodle soup, add already cooked noodles to each bowl separately, just prior to serving time. This will keep the noodles from becoming mushy.
- I always recommend the use of a slow cooker liner. Of course, this is an optional step. I like to purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price.
- In the market for a new crock pot? I love mine!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases and affiliate links at no additional cost to you.
TURKEY SOUP in a Slow Cooker
FAQ
How long can you keep turkey carcass before making soup?
Is turkey carcass broth good for you?
Why does my turkey soup taste bland?
Can you freeze cooked turkey carcass for soup?