Leftover Turkey Soup

5 from 2 votes

The best Leftover Turkey Soup is created by turning your leftover Thanksgiving turkey into a rich broth that is turned into an easy creamy soup with rice.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Additional time needed if making homemade turkey stock12

Total Time12 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Krissy Allori

Equipment

Ingredients

Homemade Turkey Stock:

cooked turkey carcass with as much or as little meat as you'd like and be sure to include any herbs that you cooked with the bird
1 onion quartered
2 stalks celery cut into 2 inch pieces
2 carrots peeled, cut into 2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
2 whole bay leaves

To Make the Soup:

8 cups turkey stock Use the stock that you prepared along with any shredded meat (8 cups minimum, more if you like)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium diced yellow onion
4 stalks diced celery you want the same onion to celery ratio
4 cloves minced garlic
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 cups cooked wild rice
1 tablespoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Instructions

To make the broth:

Once you've cooked and eaten your turkey, pick off any meat you want to enjoy as leftovers, but be sure to leave at least a small amount on the bones. Place entire cooked turkey carcass including skin, bones, and any herbs stuffed in the cavity in the largest slow cooker or Instant Pot you have. If it doesn't fit, you can break it down to fit the entire thing in or cook in multiple batches.
Add 1 onion, 2 stalks celery, 2 carrots, 4 cloves garlic, and 2 whole bay leaves to the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Add as much water as you can, filling it to the highest allowed level.
Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours in slow cooker (easy to do overnight after Thanksgiving dinner) or on high pressure for 90 minutes in Instant Pot.
Strain the broth into a container. When cool enough to handle, shred any turkey from the carcass that you can and add to the broth. Cool the broth and the shredded turkey in the refrigerator and use within a couple of days or store in air tight plastic bag or quart sized plastic containers in the freezer until ready to use.

To make the soup:

In a large stockpot over medium heat, cook 8 cups turkey stock with the shredded meat. If frozen, its okay to put the frozen block in the pot to let it melt. Otherwise you can allow broth to thaw in refrigerator prior to heating.
Meanwhile, in a separate heavy bottom stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté 1 medium diced yellow onion and 4 stalks diced celery until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 5-8 minutes. Add 4 cloves minced garlic and allow to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the cooked onion, celery, and garlic to the hot broth.
Using the stockpot you used to cook the onions, melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat and whisk in 6 tablespoons flour. Allow to cook until golden brown and fragrant, stirring frequently, about 3-5 minutes. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups whole milk and 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream and continue to whisk until until a thick gravy has formed. Add the gravy to the soup mixture and whisk until completely mixed and smooth. Add 4 cups cooked wild rice. Taste, and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt (if needed, see note below) and freshly ground pepper, adjusting amounts to taste.

Notes

Cooking tips:

Don't let that turkey carcass sit out too long. After everyone is done eating, get that stock going.
The amount of salt you add to your soup will depend on the taste. For example, if you make your Thanksgiving Turkey with a dry rub, you may not need to add any additional salt to the soup.
My favorite tip is to use the frozen par-cooked bags of rice from Trader Joe's. It's much easier than cooking the rice yourself

Nutrition