This homemade turkey soup recipe is a simple, healthy soup you can make in your instant pot , slow cooker , or on the stove! A yummy, easy turkey soup everyone will love!
There’s nothing worse than eating thanksgiving dinner 4x in a row to use up the leftover turkey.. that’s why this leftover turkey is a MUCH better option!
This isn’t just any leftover turkey soup… it’s the BEST leftover turkey soup. What makes it so good you might ask?
Well, we use turkey bone broth (which you can easily make in under 5 minutes of prep), loads of hearty veggies, and tons of leftover turkey for maximum flavor.
This turkey soup is cozy, easy to make, and delicious! It can also be paleo/whole30 friendly, or gluten free depending on what add-ins you use. There’s a long list of substitutions below!
If you’re looking for how to cook your turkey – this Crockpot Turkey Breast is the best! (And if you’re still planning your Thanksgiving menu – check out these Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes!)
Turkey soup is a hearty, delicious, and nutritious meal that can be enjoyed all year round. Made from turkey meat, broth, vegetables, and grains, this soup provides a variety of health benefits that make it a wise dietary choice. But is turkey soup really good for you? Let’s take a closer look at why turkey soup is so healthy.
Nutrition Profile of Turkey Soup
There are several key reasons why turkey soup is packed with nutrition:
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Turkey is a lean protein. Compared to red meats like beef and pork, turkey is significantly lower in fat and calories. The lean turkey meat in the soup provides protein, B vitamins, zinc, selenium, and other important nutrients
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Contains immune-boosting nutrients. Turkey contains compounds like zinc, selenium, vitamin B6, and protein that all help support optimal immune health. Additionally, the vegetables in turkey soup provide antioxidants and phytochemicals that further boost immunity.
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Bone broth boosts gut health When you make homemade turkey broth using the bones, skin, and other turkey parts, it extracts gut-healing nutrients like collagen, gelatin, and amino acids This helps seal and repair the gut lining.
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Packed with vegetables. Most turkey soup recipes call for nutrient-dense veggies like carrots, celery, onions, and sometimes leafy greens. This provides a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
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Efficiently uses leftovers. Turkey soup is the perfect way to use up leftover turkey after a big holiday meal. It prevents food waste while giving you another nutritious dinner.
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Satisfying and comforting. The protein from the turkey, fiber from the vegetables, and carbs from grains or pasta make turkey soup wonderfully filling. It also provides nostalgia and comfort.
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Highly customizable You can customize turkey soup endlessly by changing up the vegetables, seasonings, grains, or pasta This makes it easy to please the whole family.
Tips for Making Nutritious Turkey Soup
Follow these tips to get the maximum nutrition and health benefits from your homemade turkey soup:
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Start with homemade turkey broth made by simmering the bones, skin, and other parts for up to 24 hours to fully extract nutrients.
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Include a rainbow of vegetables like carrots, onions, celery, squash, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens.
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Consider adding prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, asparagus, and dandelion greens to feed your gut bacteria.
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Use whole grains like barley, farro, quinoa, or brown rice instead of refined carbs.
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Boost antioxidants by seasoning with herbs like turmeric, thyme, oregano, sage, and rosemary.
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Limit sodium by using fewer canned broths and favoring fresh herbs over salt.
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Go easy on refined carbs from noodles, rice, or bread to better control blood sugar.
Health Benefits of Turkey Soup
Beyond its stellar nutrition profile, what are some of the top health benefits of turkey soup?
Supports Immune Health
Turkey soup is loaded with nutrients that support immune health. The zinc in turkey boosts the immune system, while selenium acts as an antioxidant. Vitamin A from carrots and vitamin C from leafy greens also help immune function.
Aids Digestion
The collagen and gelatin from the turkey bones and skin can help seal and heal the gut lining, fighting inflammation. Onions, garlic, and other veggies feed gut bacteria. The broth also easy to digest.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Herbs like turmeric, garlic, and ginger have anti-inflammatory properties. The broth is hydrating, and the nutrients help reduce systemic inflammation.
Protects Heart Health
The beta-carotene in carrots, lycopene in tomatoes, and vitamin C in greens are antioxidants that protect heart health by reducing LDL oxidation. Potassium lowers blood pressure.
Good Source of Protein
Turkey provides high-quality, lean protein to repair muscles, boost metabolism, improve satiety, and support strength. This aids recovery.
Comforting When Sick
The warmth, aroma, and nostalgia of turkey soup provide comfort when you’re sick. It also provides nutrients and fluids when appetite is low.
Delicious Turkey Soup Recipes
Here are some tasty and nutritious turkey soup recipes to try:
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Mom’s Turkey Soup – Uses the turkey carcass to make broth. It’s simmered with carrots, onions, celery, egg noodles, and shredded turkey. Simple and comforting.
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Healing Turkey Vegetable Soup – Made with turkey broth, meat, lentils, quinoa, and veggies like corn, green beans, carrots, onion, and garlic. Season with sage and thyme.
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Homestyle Turkey Soup – Includes roasted turkey, prebiotic leeks, farro or barley, parsley, poultry seasoning, and lemon juice for cozy flavor.
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Turkey Chili – A fun twist using ground turkey, beans, corn, bell peppers, zucchini, chili powder, and cumin. Top with avocado.
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Curried Turkey Soup – Infuse it with Thai flavors using coconut milk, curry powder, ginger, cilantro, mushrooms and spinach or kale. Serve over brown rice.
Is Turkey Soup Good For You?
Turkey soup made properly with lean turkey, homemade broth, and plenty of vegetables and whole grains provides tremendous nutritional value.
The wide range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, gut-healing compounds, anti-inflammatory effects, and lean protein make homemade turkey soup an exceptionally healthy, satisfying, and comforting choice.
So if you were wondering “is turkey soup good for you?”, the answer is a resounding yes! Turkey soup is delicious, nourishing comfort food that offers a big nutritional payoff in each comforting bowl.
How to make Turkey Soup
Making leftover turkey soup is very simple. Pictured below are stovetop instructions, but you can easily do this in the crockpot or instant pot (see below in the recipe for crockpot turkey soup and instant pot turkey soup instructions)
- Sauté onion + garlic, then celery + carrots until soft.
- Add in spices, cooked turkey meat + broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes.
- When you’re ready to serve, serve over cooked rice, noodles, or zucchini noodles.
This soup is easily customizable. Feel free to get creative with your add ins, and see below for some of the things we’ve tried.
Storing: Leftover turkey soup is good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. As the soup sits in the refrigerator, the rice/pasta will absorb the broth/liquid and become thicker. Don’t worry! Just add more broth when you’re ready to eat your leftovers.
Freezing: You can freeze this soup recipe for up to 3 months. We like these containers for freezing. If you need more tips on freezing food, check out this post on how to freeze soup!
Reheating: You can reheat this soup in the crockpot, microwave, or on the stove. Pasta, rice or zucchini noodles will absorb some of the liquid overnight so you can just add some broth when reheating or enjoy it thicker.
We hope you love this simple leftover turkey soup recipe. It’s great for after the holidays – or really ANY time you have turkey leftovers you have to use up! If you like this recipe, you’ll also love our Turkey Pot Pie Soup!
Turkey Soup Recipe FAQs
Making soup with left over turkey soup is so easy to do! Sauté your veggies in olive oil, add in cooked, chopped turkey and broth. Bring to a boil and add in cooked past or rice.
The benefits of turkey soup are that it’s a delicious, healthy dinner! Most turkey soup recipes are loaded with veggies and a great way to use up extra thanksgiving turkey. Soup also rehydrates the turkey so even if your turkey was over cooked, it will still be delicious!
You can keep a turkey carcass for 3 days at most before making soup. Make sure to pull all the meat off of it. Here’s a tutorial for how to make turkey broth.
The best way to make bland turkey soup better is to add add a bay leaf and parmesan cheese rind while cooking. Let them simmer in the pot and then remove when it’s done cooking and discard. You can also add a pinch of salt to help amp up the flavor.
Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Soup
FAQ
What are the benefits of turkey soup?
Rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and other trace minerals, regularly consuming bone broth has been linked to improved gut health, immune system functioning, and joint pain relief.
How healthy is turkey broth?
Is Turkey bone broth good for you? Yes. Turkey bone broth has many great health benefits. The collagen in the bone marrows, cartilage, and other boney parts heals the gut and supports joint health. The bones are full of nutrients, and vitamins, released when cooked for a long while, healing and comforting for the body.
Is turkey soup good for cholesterol?
Heart Health
LDL cholesterol can damage the walls of your arteries and increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. Eating foods like turkey which are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol makes them a good choice to help increase your resistance to these diseases.
Which soup is best for health?
Lentil Soup is a fantastic choice for a nutrient-packed soup. Lentils are packed with protein, fiber, and iron, while the broth provides essential vitamins and minerals.
Is homemade Turkey vegetable soup good for You?
Now, I always make a few pots of homemade turkey vegetable soup, which is one of the healthiest and most beneficial soups a person can make. It has special healing properties from every single ingredient — homemade bone broth, shredded poultry, loads of veggies, lentils, quinoa, and dried herbs.
What are the benefits of Turkey Soup?
The benefit is the same as chicken soup and you can even freeze it for enjoyment another day. Plus, with turkey soup, you have the added benefit of triptophen to help calm and sooth, providing the perfect relief for that day when you need the warmth and comfort only hot soup can provide. Why Not Warm Up A Bowl!
Can you make Turkey Soup in Your Sleep?
Many turkey soup recipes are made with chicken stock, which means that they won’t taste like real, homemade turkey soup. Luckily, making turkey stock is so easy that you can do it in your sleep – literally. This is a recipe that I’ve made a million times. Or at least once a year for the past 20-something years – pretty close to a million.
How do you make Turkey Soup?
To make soup, you’ll start by simmering the bones from your roast turkey in water to create a wonderfully rich and flavorful broth. Once you have your turkey stock, you’ll need these ingredients for the soup: Olive oil – to sauté the vegetables. Onion, carrots, and celery – the classic turkey soup trio.
How long does Turkey vegetable soup last?
Store turkey vegetable soup in the freezer for 4 to 6 months, then thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Simmer on the stove until warmed through. Homemade turkey vegetable soup is packed with nutrients. Make this healing soup with bone broth, tender meat, and your choice of veggies.
Can you make Turkey Soup with triptophen?
Use it to begin a turkey soup base you will simply adore! The benefit is the same as chicken soup and you can even freeze it for enjoyment another day. Plus, with turkey soup, you have the added benefit of triptophen to help calm and sooth, providing the perfect relief for that day when you need the warmth and comfort only hot soup can provide.