Making a big pot of turkey noodle soup is the best way to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers! It’s creamy, savory, and filled with delicious herbs and veggies! Your family is going to love this easy, hearty meal.
Nothing compares to homemade soup. It’s just so flavorful, comforting, and delicious! I have too many favorite soup recipes to count. A few you’ve got to try, though, is this copycat zuppa toscana, pasta e fagioli, and Italian wedding soup!
Turkey Noodle Soup (Great for Thanksgiving Leftovers!)
I don’t know about you, but after Thanksgiving I always have more turkey than I know what to do with. You can only have so many turkey steaks before you start to get burned out, so make this soup instead! I honestly think it rivals my homemade chicken noodle, and that’s saying something! Once you try this turkey noodle soup for yourself, you’ll see what I mean. It’s just too good.
This is one of my favorite things to make after Thanksgiving because it’s so comforting and delicious. The broth is extremely flavorful and creamy! Once you add fresh herbs, veggies, and thick egg noodles, it really comes together. Of course, we can’t forget the leftover Thanksgiving turkey you worked so hard on! Shred some up for juicy bits of goodness throughout this delicious homemade soup. From there, all you need to do is grab some saltine crackers and get ready for a cozy night in!
Ingredients for Turkey Noodle Soup
The great thing about this turkey noodle soup is all of the pantry staples it uses. Once Thanksgiving is over, the last thing I want to do is make a trip to the grocery store! See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Butter: Used for cooking the diced veggies in.
- Onion: For soups, I usually use sweeter onions. Go for white or yellow!
- Carrots: You’ll want these to be peeled and diced.
- Celery Stalks: I love diced celery in soup because it adds the best texture!
- Minced Garlic: Fresh garlic is the best for adding in savory flavor.
- Herbs: Time to break out your spice rack! To give your soup the best flavor, add dried thyme, dried parsley, and dried basil as well.
- Flour: Add a little flour to thicken your broth.
- Turkey Broth: This acts as the base of your soup. You can either use prepackaged broth or make your own! Chicken broth will also work.
- Shredded Turkey: Another way to use up leftover turkey meat from Thanksgiving!
- Canned Evaporated Milk: A must-add for creaminess.
- Salt and Pepper: Add both to taste.
- Noodles: I used dried homemade style egg noodles.
- Frozen Peas: You’ll throw these in at the end to make your turkey soup a little more hearty.
Using Bouillon Cubes
For an extra pop of savory flavor, throw in a chicken bouillon cube! It gives this turkey noodle soup the perfect seasoned, umami flavor. I typically use 1 bouillon cube per 2 cups of water.
Let’s Make Some Homemade Soup!
This noodle soup is SO easy to make and the best for leftover turkey from Thanksgiving! Your family is going to love it. Once you start making soup from scratch, you won’t go back!
- Cook Vegetables: In a large pot over medium high heat, add the butter and melt. Then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook and stir until vegetables are softened. Stir in garlic, thyme, parsley, and basil, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add Flour: Sprinkle the flour over the cooked vegetables. Stir until a paste forms.
- Add Broth: Add the broth, thyme, parsley, and basil, and whisk for about 5 minutes or until the mixture starts to slightly thicken.
- Mix in Remaining Ingredients, Simmer: Add the shredded turkey, evaporated milk, and noodles to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the noodles are tender. Stir in the frozen peas and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Season to Taste: Before serving, adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper if needed. The seasoning will need to be adjusted depending on how seasoned the turkey is that you are using. Garnish with fresh parsley!
Making Homemade Turkey Stock
This turkey noodle soup is super easy to make from scratch thanks to all of the leftovers from Thanksgiving. If you want to make homemade turkey stock, save your turkey carcass and bones. Add it to a large stockpot with one gallon of water along with your favorite herbs and seasonings. Then, let it simmer for about 3 hours and strain once it’s done. You can use this in place of packaged chicken or turkey broth.
Storing Leftovers
Is there anything better than leftover soup? It’s so easy to heat up for a hearty lunch. Now that you have a big pot of turkey noodle soup made, here’s how to keep it tasting fresh and delicious!
- In the Refrigerator: Store turkey noodle soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Can Turkey Noodle Soup Be Frozen?
Yes! Let your turkey noodle soup cool and then transfer it to a gallon-sized freezer bag. Freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Ways to Use Leftover Turkey
Dinner
Leftover Turkey Casserole
Dinner
Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Dinner
Grilled Turkey Florentine Sandwich
Dinner
Turkey Mediterranean Casserole
Turkey Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/3 cup flour
- 8 cups turkey broth (or chicken)
- 4 cups turkey (shredded)
- 12 oz canned evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper or more to taste
- 12 oz dried homemade style egg noodles
- 1 cup frozen peas (added last)
Instructions
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In a large pot over medium high heat, add the butter and melt. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook and stir until vegetables are softened. Stir in garlic, thyme, parsley, and basil, and cook for 1 minute.
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Sprinkle the flour over the cooked vegetables. Stir until a paste forms.
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Add the broth, thyme, parsley, and basil, and whisk for about 5 minutes or until the mixture starts to slightly thicken.
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Add the shredded turkey, evaporated milk, and noodles to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the noodles are tender. Stir in the frozen peas and cook an additional 5 minutes.
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Before serving, adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper if needed. The seasoning will need to be adjusted depending on how seasoned the turkey is that you are using. Garnish with fresh parsley!
