Description
Hearty leftover turkey soup warms hearts with rich, comforting flavors from holiday remnants. Simmering broth packed with tender meat, vegetables, and herbs delivers a satisfying meal that connects family memories with delicious nourishment you’ll savor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked turkey, shredded or diced
- 6 cups turkey or chicken broth (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 cup potatoes, diced (or substitute with cooked rice or pasta)
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Seasonings and Optional Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped)
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup frozen peas or corn (optional, added near the end of cooking)
Instructions
- Chop and prepare turkey and vegetables into uniform pieces, ensuring easy cooking and consistent texture throughout the soup.
- Heat olive oil in a robust pot over medium flame, introducing onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes to create a flavorful aromatic base.
- Incorporate minced garlic, dried thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper, allowing the herbs to release their fragrant essence and infuse the vegetables with depth.
- Pour turkey broth into the vegetable mixture, adding bay leaf and bringing the liquid to a gentle boil before reducing to a slow simmer.
- Allow the broth and vegetables to meld together, cooking approximately 15-20 minutes until vegetables reach a tender consistency and flavors intensify.
- Gently fold shredded turkey and selected starch (noodles or rice) into the simmering liquid, ensuring even distribution and gentle heating.
- Introduce frozen peas during the final cooking stage, providing a burst of color and fresh flavor to the hearty soup.
- Taste and calibrate seasoning, adjusting salt, pepper, and herbs to create a perfectly balanced soup profile.
- Discard bay leaf, ladle soup into warming bowls, and complement with crusty bread or crackers for a satisfying meal.
Notes
- Select bone-in turkey for deeper, richer flavor profile that enhances the overall soup’s taste complexity.
- Chop vegetables uniformly to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the soup.
- Swap noodles with quinoa or cauliflower rice for a low-carb, gluten-free alternative that maintains hearty satisfaction.
- Save vegetable scraps and turkey bones to create homemade stock, intensifying the soup’s depth and reducing food waste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg