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!.
As an Amazon Associate, when you buy something through one of my links and earn a small commission, you don’t have to pay me anything extra. [feast_advanced_jump_to].
Homemade turkey is a real treat. Even though a turkey dinner is tasty, the best part might be the extra meals you can make with the leftovers. Turkey sandwiches and turkey salad are two great examples.
But there is one dish that stands out from the rest: turkey soup! It’s tasty, easy to make, and freezes really well. If you make a lot of this soup, your turkey will be able to keep feeding you. Long after that first meal is done!.
It is most definitely one of the best things to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers. But you don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving to make this turkey soup recipe. It’s great any time of the year.
The holidays have come and gone, and now you’re left with a picked-over turkey carcass that seems destined for the trash. But don’t throw it out just yet! With a slow cooker, that turkey carcass can be transformed into a hearty, nourishing soup that makes use of every last bit of meat and flavor.
Crockpot turkey soup is thrifty satisfying comfort food at its finest. By simmering the carcass in your slow cooker you extract every last bit of flavor from the bones to make a rich, turkey-y broth. Add back shredded turkey meat, vegetables, and noodles, and you have an easy soup that’s chock-full of protein and will stick to your ribs on chilly nights.
Benefits of Making Turkey Soup
-
Saves money. Turkey soup is one of the original “nose to tail” dishes, making use of the entire bird so none of it goes to waste. This stretches your dollar and reduces food waste.
-
Extracts maximum flavor. Long, slow cooking coaxes out all the flavor trapped in the carcass, yielding a complex, turkey-rich broth.
-
Provides leftover turkey options. Shred and add turkey meat back to the soup, providing a tasty new way to serve up leftovers.
-
Healthy and nourishing. Turkey soup made with lots of veggies provides a good dose of fiber along with anti-oxidant rich ingredients. The protein will keep you satisfied.
-
Freezes well. Make a big batch and freeze individual portions for quick, healthy meals later.
Tips for Making the Best Crockpot Turkey Soup
Follow these tips and tricks to make sure your crockpot turkey soup turns out flavorful and fantastic:
-
Start with the carcass. Use the leftover turkey carcass along with scraps like the neck and giblets to build maximum flavor.
-
Add veggies to the broth. Mirepoix of onion, carrot, and celery provide a flavor boost to the broth as it simmers.
-
Go generous with herbs and spices. Poultry seasoning, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns infuse the broth with warmth.
-
Cook low and slow. Give it at least 8 hours on low to extract the most flavor and collagen from the bones.
-
Strain well. Cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer ensures you get just rich, velvety broth.
-
Shred the meat. Pick the carcass clean of any leftover meat and shred to add back to the finished soup.
-
Boost nutrition. Load up on vitamin-rich veggies like carrots, peas, spinach, kale or green beans.
-
Finish with fresh herbs. A sprinkling of chopped parsley or dill gives a final punch of flavor.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps for killer crockpot turkey soup made from the leftover carcass:
Prep the Carcass and Veggies
- Remove any large chunks of meat from the bones and reserve for adding back later.
- Roughly chop the turkey carcass into pieces to maximize the surface area.
- Chop aromatics like onion, celery, garlic, and carrots into large chunks.
Make the Broth
- Place the carcass, chopped veggies, and any other scraps like the neck in the slow cooker.
- Add herbs, peppercorns, bay leaves, poultry seasoning and enough water to cover.
- Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.
Strain the Broth
- Pass the broth through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.
- Press down on the solids to extract all the liquid.
- Discard the solids.
Build the Soup
- Return the strained broth to the slow cooker.
- Add any shredded turkey meat, chopped carrots, celery, onions, and desired vegetables.
- Cook on high heat for 1 hour.
- Stir in uncooked egg noodles and cook 20 minutes more until tender.
- Adjust seasonings to taste and serve garnished with fresh parsley.
Ingredient Ideas
Turkey soup is highly customizable to your tastes and what you have on hand. Play around with these ingredient ideas:
Vegetables: Carrots, celery, onion, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, kale, spinach, leeks, mushrooms, parsnips, turnips, cabbage, zucchini
Starches: Egg noodles, rice, small pasta, orzo, barley, quinoa, wild rice, potatoes
Herbs/Spices: Thyme, sage, rosemary, parsley, dill, pepper, bay leaves, poultry seasoning
Proteins: Shredded turkey meat, beans, lentils
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can I store turkey broth? Turkey broth can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for 4-6 months.
What cut of turkey works best? A whole turkey carcass works great. You can also use just a turkey breast or just drumsticks/legs.
Can I use a whole raw turkey? Yes, place a whole raw turkey in the slow cooker, cover with water, and cook on low 8+ hours before straining and making into soup.
What if I don’t have a whole carcass? Use leftover turkey pieces or make the soup from scratch with turkey wings, legs and thighs.
Satisfying and Thrifty
A steaming bowl of homemade turkey noodle soup made from the leftover holiday bird is warm comfort in a bowl. Simmering the carcass into broth captures every iota of flavor and nutrients. Finals touches like veggies, noodles, and fresh herbs make it a complete and hearty meal. Enjoy this thrifty, soul-soothing soup all season long.
How To Make Slow Cooker Turkey Soup
You can make this tasty soup right after Thanksgiving by putting everything in the crockpot at once. No need to worry about storing or dealing with the bones if you take this route.
If you’re too tired after cooking and cleaning a big Thanksgiving turkey dinner, don’t worry! You can put your leftover turkey in the fridge 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. Small cracks in the bones may help them fit better in the slow cooker and let some of the good stuff in the bone marrow come out.
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.
You can change almost everything about your slow cooker turkey soup once it’s done. You can put it back in the slow cooker right away if you want to use it right away.
Adding in vegetables and leftover turkey meat is one fantastic and healthy soup option. People love to make turkey noodle soup by adding cooked wide egg noodles. They also love to make slow cooker turkey rice soup by adding cooked brown rice or cauliflower rice. Serving as a simple, healthy broth is a great option too!.
For this hearty soup, a fresh garden salad and a heel of crusty bread are great sides. Sweet corn spoonbread, garlic parmesan mushrooms, or lightly steamed green beans are also the perfect accompaniments.
❓❔Why Use A Slow Cooker For This Dish
Slow Cookers are just made for this type of soup. It’s best to cook a whole turkey slowly so that all of its flavors and nutrients can come out. 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: