Turkey Noodle Soup is the answer to leftover roasted turkey. Its broth is so healing and delicious, once combined with simple veggies and pasta your family will devour it in minutes.
Want to make it year round? Use leftover rotisserie chicken. 🙂
Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe
Any holiday, I turn leftover turkey into a turkey noodle soup. I simmer turkey carcass until rich and flavorful stock forms. Then add potatoes, carrots, pasta, spices and herbs and a cousin of my grandma’s chicken noodle soup is born.
We are way more lucky than our grandparents, in some ways. The only thing I do differently than my grandma, I make bone broth in Instant Pot.
But if you want quick leftover turkey noodle soup, you can do so in about 45 minutes.
Ingredients for Turkey Noodle Soup
You can make this turkey noodle soup recipe quicker with stock or broth, with or without drippings, and with or without carcass. It is basic recipe, use it as a guideline and make your own.
- Leftover turkey – Thighs, carcass and bones or a combination. Do not add skin as it makes soup very fatty. And I do not recommend to use turkey breast because it becomes rubbery when cooked for that long. Save it for a turkey salad.
- Pasta – Any short pasta, broken into pieces spaghetti, egg noodles or gluten free pasta works.
- Whole onion is used to make broth clear.
- Other veggies – Carrots, celery and potatoes. Use what you have.
- Fresh herbs add another layer of flavor at the end. Don’t skip!
How to Make Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup
Detailed recipe card is located below.
- Combine all turkey leftovers – Use dark turkey meat leftovers with drippings and juices, and even gravy leftovers. The goal is to make water flavorful with anything turkey in as little time as possible.
- Simmer with water for 30 minutes.
- Add veggies and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add pasta and cook for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.
How to Make Turkey Bone Broth
Bone broth is a superfood loaded with collagens, good bacteria for your gut, immune boosting and detox properties.
Instant Pot bone broth: Truth is you can add just bones, water and salt. I always change things up depending what’s in the fridge.
- Add turkey carcass and any meat (optional) to an electric pressure cooker.
- Add water, whole onion, carrots, celery, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt. That’s when I pull out my 8 quart Instant Pot.
- Then cook for 2 hours on high pressure.
- Make sure to let pressure come down naturally for 30 minutes before releasing the remainder.
Bones will be so soft, you can eat them but you don’t have to. 🙂
Slow cooker bone broth: Again, add approximate amount of ingredients to a large slow cooker and cook on low for 24 hours. Water should just cover the ingredients. That is why I love my Instant Pot. 🙂
Stovetop bone broth: If you are not feeling comfortable going to bed with the stove on, start in the morning and finish at night.
- Bring all ingredients to a boil and simmer on low for up to 24 hours in a large stockpot.
- You would want to skim the foam first 2 hours occasionally.
- And while simmering, keep the lid a bit open.
Then discard the bones and vegetables, reserve the meat and start your soup. You can strain broth if you want. I don’t.
Tips for Best Turkey Noodle Soup
- Soggy pasta – Pasta soaks up liquid like crazy. If you make a lot of soup and don’t like soggy noodles next day (who does?!), add enough pasta to eat today. Tomorrow bring soup to a boil, add more pasta and simmer until pasta is cooked.
- Frozen veggies – Add frozen veggies like peas, corn and edamame at the end.
- Store bought stock – Of course, you can use stock or broth from a carton or cubes (preferably both low sodium and organic) if you don’t have enough turkey leftovers.
- Roasted chicken – And yes, you can make this soup with chicken as well. Woot-woot.
How to Serve, Store and Freeze Soup
Serving: Before we get to soup, I would like to share another idea. I love to pour myself a cup of broth, sprinkle with fresh parsley/dill and pepper and drink. We call it “golden liquid” in Ukraine. 🙂
Storing and reheating: Serve soup with rye bread or toasted whole grain bread. Reheat soup by simmering on low. I even do it sometimes with frozen soup.
Freezing turkey noodle soup: If you plan on freezing leftovers, do not freeze with soup with cooked pasta. In Ukraine, grandma often cooked rice or pasta separately and then added to reheat soup. Another option.
More Pasta Soup Recipes
Turkey Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cups leftover turkey meat + carcass and/or bones
- 8 cups cold water
- 3 bay leaves
- 5 peppercorns whole
- 1 small whole onion just peeled
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 4 large carrots 2 whole and 2 diced
- 2 large celery stalks
- 2 cups potatoes diced
- 2 cups dry pasta whole grain
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp fresh dill parsley or green onion, finely chopped
Instructions
- This recipe is very forgiving and varies based on what you have on hand. Use it as a guideline.
Quick Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup
- In a large pot, combine dark turkey meat leftovers with drippings, juices, and even gravy leftovers.
- Simmer with water for 30 minutes.
- Add veggies and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add pasta and cook for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.
Stovetop Bone Broth and Soup After
- In a large pot or stockpot, add turkey carcass, turkey meat, whole onion, garlic, whole carrots, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns and enough cold water to cover everything.
- Bring all ingredients to a boil and simmer on low for up to 24 hours. If you are not feeling comfortable going to bed with the stove on, start in the morning and finish at night.
- You would want to skim the foam first 2 hours occasionally. And while simmering, keep the lid a bit open.
- Then discard the bones and vegetables, reserve the meat and start your soup. You can strain broth if you want. I don't.
- Add potatoes and carrots, stir and reduce heat to medium. Cook with half lid open for 5 minutes.
- Add pasta, stir and cook for another 5 minutes. I would stir a few more times to prevent pasta from sticking.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, herbs and stir. Adjust any seasonings more if you wish.
- Serve hot with a slice of toasted bread.
Instant Pot Bone Broth and Soup After
- Instant Pot makes bone broth in 2 hours instead of 24. That's the beauty of a pressure cooker!
- To 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, add turkey carcass, bones, dark meat, whole onion, garlic, whole carrots, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns and enough cold water to make pot 2/3 full (older models) or up to PC Max line (newer models).
- Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cooking on High for 2 hours.
- After let pot stand for 30 minutes and then release pressure using Quick Release or let it come down on its own.
- Discard veggies, bay leaves and bones.
- Add pasta, stir, close the lid, turn on Keep Warm and let pasta “cook” for 15 minutes.
- Open, add herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
Slow Cooker Bone Broth and Soup After
- In a large slow cooker, add turkey carcass, bones, dark meat, whole onion, garlic, whole carrots, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns and enough cold water to cover.
- Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours for a broth, and 24 hours on Low for bone broth.
- Discard veggies, bay leaves and bones.
- Add pasta, cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until pasta is ready.
- Open, add herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Pasta soaks up liquid like crazy. If you make a lot of soup and don't like soggy noodles next day (who does?!), add enough pasta to eat today. Tomorrow bring soup to a boil, add more pasta and simmer until pasta is cooked.
- Larger shape pasta like penne (pictured) becomes more soggy than noodles or small shape pasta.
- Try small gluten free pasta - it doesn't get as soggy as wheat.
- Add frozen veggies at the end like peas, corn and edamame.
- Of course, you can use stock or broth from a carton or cubes (preferably both low sodium and organic) if you don't have enough turkey leftovers.
- And yes, you can make this soup with chicken as well. Woot-woot.
- If you plan on freezing leftovers, do not freeze with soup with cooked pasta.
- Reheat soup by simmering on low. I even do it sometimes with frozen soup. 🙂
Nutrition
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Delicious comforting soup- especially on a cold day!
Looks amazing!
Love soups! Enjoy them through all our Ontario seasons. Thanks for your sharings and today, especially thanks for the broth making varieties.
You are very welcome, Margaret. I have deep appreciation for all kinds of broth haha.