Leftover Turkey Soup
This turkey soup recipe is easy to make with leftover Thanksgiving turkey! With orzo, herbs and veggies, this comforting soup is like a hug in a bowl.
The Best Leftover Turkey Soup
I love Thanksgiving dinner, but I may love the leftovers even more! We always enjoy a second Thanksgiving meal with the turkey, turkey gravy and side dishes the day after the holiday. After that, it’s on to our favorite leftover turkey recipes like turkey pot pie and this delicious turkey soup.
I love this turkey soup recipe because it’s really easy to make with simple ingredients and it’s a cozy meal perfect for a lazy day. Besides using leftover turkey, it also repurposes some of the fresh herbs that I have leftover after making my homemade Stuffing Recipe. The flavors are comforting, the soup is warming, basically it’s a meal I look forward to all year!
Can’t wait for leftover turkey to make this? I’ve also made this recipe with rotisserie chicken for an easy mid-week dinner. Serve it with leftover Dinner Rolls or a quick batch of biscuits. It’s also a lovely meal with a simple green salad on the side.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Olive Oil: For sautéing the veggies.
- Onion, Celery, Carrots: Almost all soups start with these three, they’re a great flavor base to build upon.
- Garlic: Because everything it better with garlic!
- Chicken Broth: I like to use low sodium so that the soup doesn’t turn out too salty.
- Seasonings: I used fresh rosemary and thyme that I had leftover, plus salt, pepper and bay leaves. If you don’t have leftover herbs and don’t want to buy them, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon each of dried rosemary and dried thyme.
- Leftover Cooked Turkey: I usually use a mix of white and dark meat. You can also make this recipe with leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- Orzo: This short pasta shape is one of my favorites for soups. (I make an amazing Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup – recipe coming soon!) You can substitute another short pasta shape, rice, or egg noodles (more like Chicken Noodle Soup). Just adjust the simmer time as needed to cook the noodles or rice. Alternatively, you can stir cooked rice into the soup along with the turkey.
How to Make Turkey Soup
Sauté veggies. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, cook the onion, celery and carrots in olive oil until they start to soften. Then stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add broth and seasonings. Stir in the chicken broth, chopped rosemary, thyme sprigs, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes so that the vegetables continue to soften.
Stir in turkey and orzo. Then simmer for 9-11 more minutes, until the pasta is tender.
Finish and serve. Remove and discard the thyme stems (most of the leaves will have fallen off in the soup) and bay leaves. Taste the soup and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Then serve and enjoy!
Leftover Turkey Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups chopped cooked leftover turkey, or leftover cooked chicken
- ¾ cup orzo pasta, 4 ounces, see note
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften, about 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the chicken broth, followed by the chopped rosemary, thyme sprigs, salt, pepper and bay leaves.
- Increase the heat to bring the soup to a simmer. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped cooked turkey and orzo pasta. Cover the pot and simmer for 9-11 more minutes, until pasta is cooked to al dente (just tender).
- Remove the thyme stems (most of the leaves will have fallen off in the soup) and bay leaves; discard. Taste soup and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Herbs: If you don’t have fresh rosemary and thyme on hand and don’t want to buy them, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon each of dried rosemary and dried thyme.
- Turkey: You can also make this recipe with leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- Orzo: The orzo pasta can be substituted with another short pasta shape, rice or egg noodles (use approximately 4 ounces of pasta or noodles, or 3/4 cup uncooked rice). Adjust the simmer time as needed to cook the noodles or rice. Alternatively, you can stir cooked rice into the soup along with the turkey.
Can this be made in the Instant Pot
While you could make this in the Instant Pot, I honestly think this recipe is easier to make on the stove. Since you first sauté and simmer the vegetables, then stir in the orzo and cooked turkey and simmer some more, it would probably be more of a hassle to use the pressure cooker.
We reakly like this soup
Thanks for the the recipe!
Shirl