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!
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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, don't have to wait for Thanksgiving dinner! This leftover turkey soup recipe is awesome any time of year.
❓❔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.
📃Shopping list
In addition to leftover turkey, you will need to add the following to your slow cooker:
- carrots
- celery
- onion
- bay leaf
- peppercorns
- garlic
- rosemary
- salt
- water
🥣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. That's 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!
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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.
🍽Serving suggestions
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...
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Storing leftovers
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.
😉Hints & Hacks
- This easy turkey soup recipe calls for carrots, celery, and onion pieces. If you don't 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!
📖 Recipe
Lazy Leftover Turkey Soup Slow Cooker Recipe
Equipment
- 6 quart or larger slow cooker
- Knife and cutting board
Ingredients
- leftover turkey carcass and any meat that may be left on the bones
- 1-2 carrot stalks
- 1-2 celery stalks
- 1 small onion, cut in quarters diced onion works here as well
- 2 bay leaves
- 6-8 peppercorns
- 2-3 raw garlic cloves a tablespoon of minced garlic works as well
- water
- 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary can use dried as a substitute
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- place slow cooker liner in slow cooker, if using
- break apart carcass just enough to fit into slow cooker.leftover turkey carcass and any meat that may be left on the bones
- add large pieces of carrot and celery (this is a great way to use up any leftover veggies from holiday crudite, if you served one)1-2 carrot stalks, 1-2 celery stalks
- add onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns1 small onion, cut in quarters, 2 bay leaves, 6-8 peppercorns, 2-3 raw garlic cloves
- Fill slow cooker with water to within on inch of topwater
- lay rosemary sprigs on top, cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- after cooking, allow to cool slightly and run through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- If you just want broth, you are done!!
- If you want turkey soup, you can add the veggies and meat from what was strained out back into broth. be careful not to add back in any small bones.
- Alternatively, place fresh leftover turkey meat and vegetables into the broth when you are ready to serve it and allow them to cook for a few hours on low until everything is heated through and the vegetables are soft.
- to make turkey noodle soup, add desired amount of al dente cooked noodles to slow cooker 10-15 minutes prior to serving.
- add salt and pepper to tastesalt and pepper to taste
Notes
Nutrition
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Emily says
So flavorful and comforting. Love this soup!
URSULA says
I have this cooking in my crock pot right now. It will cook all night long. After Thanksgiving, I made the homemade turkey broth & froze the containers of it. I also deboned all of the leftover turkey & froze in bags in the freezer. I just threw in some baby carrots, sliced onion, turkey boullion, small dash of soy sauce, "W" sauce, a small handful of sugar snap beans, 5 cut up potatoes, lots of seasonings, a baby leaf. I'm making it more of a potato/turkey soup. Will eat it for 2 days & then freeze the remainder of it for easy weeknight meals. We are trying to eat healthier and not eat out as much these days - also helps a lot with saving money in the long run. I also have another turkey in the freezer, I will do it either for Xmas or New Year. With the extra leftover turkey I plan on making turkey salad, turkey chili, turkey quesidillas, turkey pot pie and turkey spaghetti and turkey noodle casserole!! YAY! Fighting inflation every single day!!
The Lazy Slow Cooker says
That is wonderful! I hate seeing food go to waste and try be as creative with leftovers as possible. I love how many different ways you use your leftover turkey. I just made some delicious leftover turkey chili too (recipe will be posted soon). Enjoy your soup and all your other creative recipes!!