Homemade Turkey Vegetable Soup
This recipe for Turkey Vegetable Soup is the perfect way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. This updated version of the classic Turkey Soup is loaded with vegetables, noodles, and plenty of flavor thanks to fresh thyme and parmesan. Our family thinks this is the best turkey soup!
Homemade Turkey Vegetable Soup
Thanksgiving comes to a close and the inevitable happens. The turkey leftovers usually outlast all the other types of leftovers and we are left wondering — what are we going to do with all this extra turkey?
In the end, we always make do and the overwhelming amount of turkey isn’t really such a big deal after all. The easiest solution is to make a big pot of homemade turkey vegetable soup since the whole family loves it.
I’m sharing an updated version of the classic turkey noodle soup for this year’s Thanksgiving leftovers.
With this turkey soup recipe, think lots of vegetables — onion, carrot, celery, red bell peppers, and green beans — fresh herbs, curly rotini noodles, Parmesan, and of course, turkey.
This delicious soup is a great way to warm up on cold nights during the winter months, so I definitely recommend making a big batch after you’re tired of all your Thanksgiving dinner turkey.
Got tons of turkey after Thanksgiving? Check out this post: What to Do with Leftover Turkey
Ingredients for Turkey Vegetable Soup
Making vegetable turkey soup with leftover turkey is a quick and easy process, and you can throw lots of veggies into the pot if needed.
Here’s what goes into this homemade turkey noodle soup:
- Olive Oil
- Yellow Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic
- Red Bell Peppers
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- Turkey Stock
- Leftover Turkey
- Fresh Thyme
- Fresh Parsley
- Bay Leaves
- Haricot Vert (or Green Beans)
- Cooked Pasta
- Parmesan Cheese
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions to make this leftover turkey soup, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
Step by Step Photos
Making Turkey Veggie Soup
How to Make Turkey Vegetable Soup
Turkey veggie soup is incredibly easy to make. Here’s a brief overview of the cooking process:
- Sauté the aromatics: first, add the oil to a large dutch oven or stock pot. Then, add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Then, add the carrot, celery and garlic and continue to sauté until the onion and celery are tender and the mixture is fragrant. Next, add the bell pepper and sauté for 2 more minutes.
- Simmer: Stir in the diced tomatoes and their juices, turkey stock, shredded turkey, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes on low heat.
- Cook Green Beans: Then, add the green beans and simmer until they reach your desired tenderness.
- Add Pasta and Serve: Stir in the cooked pasta and parsley. Remove the thyme springs and bay leaf. Lastly, serve topped with a sprinkling of fresh parmesan cheese.
The above is simply a quick summary of this turkey carcass soup recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Tips for the Best Turkey Veggie Soup
Homemade turkey vegetable soup is full of rich flavors thanks to the delicious homemade turkey stock, leftover turkey meat, herbs, and vegetables. Here are my tips for making the best turkey soup:
- When you take the time to make a batch of homemade turkey stock with your leftover turkey carcass, this recipe for turkey soup is really over the top good.
- For extra flavorful noodles, cook them in turkey stock or chicken stock rather than water!
- I stirred some cooked pasta into the turkey vegetable soup to bulk it up even more, but you may omit the pasta altogether if desired.
- For even more flavor, I recommend making a smoked turkey (if you have a pellet grill). Leftover smoked turkey makes for the most incredible smoked turkey soup!
What Side Dishes Go with Turkey Vegetable Soup
If you’re looking for side suggestions to go with this turkey soup recipe, here are my recommendations:
- Big green salad – We often use mixed greens, lettuce, cucumber, shredded carrot, and tomato for a basic side salad. Check out these 3 Simple Salad Dressing Recipes to go along with your salad.
- Bread: Try this Rustic Rosemary Garlic Bread. It is a delicious free-form artisan bread that tastes fantastic with homemade soup! Or for a baguette, try Light Whole Wheat Baguette.
Homemade Turkey Soup Recipe FAQ:
Got questions about making this turkey vegetable soup recipe? Check out these questions to see if I’ve answered. If not, feel free to leave a comment with your question at the bottom of this post.
Can I Use a Different Pasta Shape?
Of course! My favorite way to make this leftover vegetable turkey soup is with rotini pasta, but you can use any shorter pasta shape. Try: wide egg noodles, penne, medium shells, orzo, bow tie, or any other favorite shape you have.
Can This Recipe Be Made Gluten-Free?
Yes, very easily! Simply use gluten-free pasta in place of regular rotini.
Can I Make this Soup without Turkey?
If you don’t have any leftover turkey meat, feel free to use a rotisserie chicken instead and substitute chicken stock.
If you want to make it homemade, use the same method as turkey stock. Otherwise, purchase a high quality store-bought chicken broth for the best results and flavor.
If you’re vegetarian, then I recommend making this homemade vegetable broth instead of the turkey stock and omitting the turkey. You will probably want to add some other vegetables in place of the turkey. Try sautéed mushrooms and a white bean, such as cannellini beans.
How to Store Leftover Turkey Soup
This homemade turkey vegetable soup recipe serves 8 to 10 generously. Leftovers will keep up to five days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
For best results, store it in an airtight container rather than stashing a large pot full of soup in your fridge.
How to Freeze this Turkey Vegetable Soup
I don’t recommend freezing this soup with the pasta in it because it can become mushy once thawed after freezing.
If would like to freeze this recipe, it is best to cook the pasta at a later date when you plan to eat the soup. Just prepare the soup minus the pasta portion and freeze it that way.
Want to learn more about freezing soup? Check out my tutorial here: How to Freeze Soup.
Try this Easy Turkey Soup!
Next time you’re looking for a good use for all that leftover turkey after your holiday meals, give this Homemade Turkey Soup Recipe a try!
Did you think it was the best homemade turkey vegetable soup? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this easy recipe.
On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of this Turkey Vegetable Soup!
More Leftover Turkey Recipes:
Turkey is an easy substitute for chicken in many recipes. Here are a few of my favorite picks for using up leftover turkey after Thanksgiving:
We love these Leftover Turkey Sandwiches that are piled high with turkey, cranberry sauce, and cheese!
Sweet and Spicy Turkey Curry Soup is the perfect way to use up your leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
Green Chile Turkey Tetrazzini takes this traditional Thanksgiving turkey leftover recipe to the next level. This turkey casserole is loaded with flavor thanks to the addition of green chiles, poblano peppers, and spicy pepper jack cheese.
Pot Pie with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust is comfort food and it’s finest! Creamy chicken (or turkey) filling is topped with tender buttermilk biscuits.
These Turkey Sandwiches with Jarlsberg are another family favorite! Use your favorite spread and pile yours high with veggies.
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Homemade Turkey Vegetable Soup
This recipe for Turkey Noodle Vegetable Soup is the perfect way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. This updated version of the classic Turkey Soup is loaded with vegetables (onion, carrot, celery, red peppers, and green beans), rotini pasta and plenty of flavor thanks to fresh thyme and parmesan. It is best if you use your own homemade turkey stock, but you can use store bought as well.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cups sliced Carrots (round or half moon)
- 2 ribs of Celery, sliced
- 4 - 5 Fresh Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 Red Bell Peppers, chopped
- 2 cans Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 8 cups Homemade Turkey Stock
- 1 pound (16 ounces) Turkey, cut into cubes (white and/or dark meat)
- 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 8 ounces Haricot Verts or Green Beans, cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
- 3 cups cooked Rotini Pasta
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped Fresh Parsley
- Sea Salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
- Fresh Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Add the oil to a large dutch oven or stock pot. Heat over medium heat until the oil is shimmering.
- Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add the carrot, celery and garlic and continue to saute until the onion and celery are tender and the mixture is fragrant.
- Add the bell pepper and saute for 2 more minutes.
- Next, add the diced tomatoes and their juices, turkey stock, shredded turkey, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
- Add the green beans and simmer until they reach your desired tenderness, about 5 minutes longer.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and parsley. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
- Simmer just until the pasta is heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve topped with a sprinkling of fresh parmesan cheese.
Notes
Tips for the Best Turkey Soup
This leftover turkey soup recipe is full of rich flavors thanks to the delicious homemade turkey stock, leftover turkey meat, herbs, and vegetables. Here are my tips for making the best turkey soup:
- When you take the time to make a batch of homemade turkey stock with your leftover turkey carcass, this recipe for turkey soup is really over the top good.
- For extra flavorful noodles, cook them in turkey stock or chicken stock rather than water!
How to Freeze this Turkey Vegetable Soup
If would like to freeze this recipe, it is best to cook the pasta at a later date when you plan to eat the soup. Just prepare the soup minus the pasta portion and freeze it that way.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 413Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 230mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 41g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Julia {The Roasted Root} says
I take the exact same approach to leftover turkey! I love your recipe – it looks so colorful and nutritious and I’ll definitely make it when we have leftover turkey after Christmas! Hope your family enjoyed the holiday!