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Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup

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My favorite way to use leftover turkey is to make a delicious pot of turkey noodle soup. It’s also an excellent way to clean out your refrigerator!

Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup

Turkey Noodle Soup

Don’t throw out the turkey bones after Thanksgiving! Making homemade turkey stock with bones is the secret to the best-tasting soup. I promise it’s easy! This Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup recipe is the perfect way to turn holiday leftovers into a satisfying meal. With a rich, flavorful broth, tender turkey, and a mix of vegetables and noodles, this soup is comfort in a bowl. For more of my favorite soup recipes that would be great with leftover turkey, try this Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, Turkey Pot Pie Soup, and Tortilla Soup.

Why This Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe Works

  • Easy: This turkey soup with egg noodles and vegetables is so simple. You don’t even have to sauté the onions and garlic. Just throw everything in a pot and simmer.
  • Healthy: This dish provides good fiber and protein with only 131 calories and fewer than 26 grams of carbs.
  • Nourishing: This warm, comforting meal provides a variety of nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, and K and potassium.
  • Freezer Friendly: This recipe for turkey noodle soup is great for meal prep and freezing since leftovers reheat well.
Leftover Turkey Soup ingredients

Ingredients

  • Homemade Turkey Stock: Make your own stock with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving.
  • Herbs: Bay leaf, fresh parsley
  • Vegetables: Carrot, onion, celery
  • Garlic: Mince two garlic cloves.
  • Salt and Black Pepper to season your soup
  • Noodles: I used No Yolks egg noodles.
  • Turkey: You’ll need two cups of leftover shredded turkey.

How to Make Turkey Noodle Soup

  1. Fill a large pot with the stock, bay leaf, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper.
  2. Simmer until the vegetables are soft.
  3. Remaining Ingredients: Put the parsley, noodles, and turkey in the stock, and cook the pasta according to package directions.
  4. Serve: Discard the bay leaf and serve hot.

Variations

  • Chicken: Swap turkey with leftover chicken and chicken stock. You can also use the bones from a rotisserie chicken to make stock.
  • Time Saver: If you don’t have time to make homemade stock, use low-sodium canned turkey or chicken stock or broth.
  • Pasta: Use whatever types of noodles you have. Rotini and elbow macaroni would work.
  • Herbs: Add fresh thyme, rosemary, or chives.

How to Make Turkey Stock with a Leftover Turkey Carcass

Bones create a rich, flavorful stock, and it’s easier to make than you might think. There are no exact measurements—use whatever is in your refrigerator.

  1. Add everything to a soup pot: the leftover turkey carcass with any turkey meat, an onion, a few stalks of celery, some garlic, herbs, and anything else you find in your refrigerator.
  2. Simmer: Cover everything with water, put the lid on the pot, and simmer it on low for a few hours.
  3. Strain the liquid: Toss out the bones and vegetables, reserve the turkey, and start your soup.

If you’re not making the soup right away, refrigerate the stock. Then, remove the fat from the top. You can use this turkey stock recipe as a base swapping the turkey wings for leftover turkey.

What to Serve with Turkey Noodle Soup

This easy turkey soup would be delicious with biscuits or crackers or a salad.

FAQs

How long is soup made with leftover turkey good for?

Leftover turkey lasts for up to four days. So, I’d recommend making this soup a day or two after Thanksgiving, so the soup is still good for at least a day.

Can you freeze turkey noodle soup?

Turkey noodle soup also freezes well, so if you have extra, freeze it in small containers for up to three months. You can either thaw it in the fridge overnight or microwave it straight from frozen.

Do egg noodles soak up soup?

Yes, noodles soak up the broth as they sit in the liquid. To reheat the soup, you may need to add a little extra water or stock.

Turkey Noodle Soup
Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup

More Leftover Turkey Thanksgiving Recipes:

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Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup

5 from 19 votes
3
Cals:131
Protein:5
Carbs:25.5
Fat:0.5
My favorite way to use leftover turkey is to make a delicious pot of turkey noodle soup. It’s also an excellent way to clean out your refrigerator!
Course: Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: American
Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 3/4 cups

Ingredients

  • 6 cups homemade turkey stock, or low sodium canned
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup diced carrot
  • 3/4 cup chopped onion
  • 3/4 cup diced celery
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 3 oz uncooked egg noodles, I used no-yolk
  • 2 cups leftover shredded turkey, about 8 ounces

Instructions

  • Fill a large saucepan with homemade turkey stock (or canned).
  • Add bay leaf, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and simmer 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
  • Add parsley, noodles and shredded turkey; cook according to noodle directions, about 5 minutes.
  • Discard bay leaf and serve.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 3/4 cups, Calories: 131 kcal, Carbohydrates: 25.5 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 0.5 g, Sodium: 57 mg, Fiber: 4.5 g, Sugar: 2.5 g

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82 comments on “Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup”

  1. Delicious! I did saute the onions, carrots and celery in some butter and olive oil, but that is just my habit. To cream it up a bit, added some heavy cream and the remainder of an open bag of shredded monterey jack cheese at the end of the simmer. Soooo delish!!! I plan on this with left over rotisserie chicken as well. Very hearty and mighty tasty!

  2. Avatar photo
    Birgit Webster

    For so many years I have been dreading leftover turkey. Not sure why it took me so long to try this… it’s quick, yummy and uses all ingredients I always have on hand. Already made it twice this week, as the weather turned cold quickly and it’s such a quick and easy comfort food. Thanks for this.

  3. This was fantastic & will definitely become my go to recipe for leftover turkey. My boys loved it. I’m not a big chicken/turkey noodle soup fan & even I loved it!

  4. I’m not typically a chicken/turkey noodle soup fan but this recipe is a winner! Delicious! I needed to use up some vegetable broth and leftover turkey. I didn’t have egg noodles so I used elbow macaroni. I will definitely be making this again!

  5. Very easy to make. Cooks fast. Very savory soup. I will keep this recipe on hand all winter. It will be good even with left over rotisserie chicken. Also, I love that it cooks all in one pan. Easy Peasy!

  6. I used 4 cups of stock and 2 cups broth. I was worried about adding the noodles to the soup to cook but they were perfect, not mushy. It was delicious!!

  7. This is our “go to” way to use Thanksgiving leftovers. Sometimes, I’ll put in a spoonful of leftover stuffing, it totally falls apart and disappears into the soup, but it adds more Thanksgiving spices. Our son says this soup is his REAL reason for eating Thanksgiving dinner! I try to only make as many noodles as we can eat in a meal so the next day leftovers get fresh noodles boiled in.

  8. Excellent soup and a new favorite. So satisfying to come away with a rich pot of soup. It really made it doing my own broth from the turkey that had simmered and then I cooked and defatted it. I added more College inn turkey broth which is a bit salty I think–I am glad I didn’t add any extra salt. Used the wide egg noodles as what I had on hand. Got 8 cups worth of soup. Also since I was using my left over turkey for several skinny taste dishes –by the time I did this one really only had dark turkey meat left and that made it extra rich too really. Loved it. Thank you. ( The other recipes I did this time for left over turkey were the skillet “chicken or turkey in this case” enchilada and the turkey pot pie with the sweet potato topping–both wonderful as well. I like the things I make after having the turkey dinner better then the turkey dinner really!

  9. Perfect!  Easy to make.  Taste wonderful.  The only difference I made was to sauté the onion, garlic, celery and carrots with tablespoon of olive oil so it would cook faster.  It only took about 5 minutes to make.

  10. Perfect!  Easy to make.  Taste wonderful.  The only difference I made was to sauté the onion, garlic, celery and carrots with tablespoon of olive oil so it would cook faster.  

  11. Made this soup today even if it is not “soup weather.” Delicious! Added just a pinch of dried French thyme crumbled with my fingers to the broth. – a little bit of herbs couldn’t hurt. Can’t wait to try more of your soup recipes! Thanks, Gina!

  12. Great recipe! Using up all of my turkey leftovers from Canadian thanksgiving, I doubled it and added the juice of a whole lemon. So yummy! Thanks for the great soup recipe. 

      1. I think I’m more excited to make this soup tomorrow than I was for Thanksgiving today!

  13. Made this with leftover turkey I vacuum packed and froze. I used store bought turkey stock and this turned out really good. this for sure is a make again…

  14. Pingback: Have a Heart-Healthy Holiday Season • Marula Medical

  15. I know this is an oldie but goodie, but I just made it today for the first time from a leftover turkey breast I slow cooked on Sunday. This was so easy and came out so flavorful! I doubled it and immediately put half into the freezer. Thanks for the always fabulous recipes online and in the books!!!

  16. Pingback: 9 Healthy Ways to Use Up Thanksgiving Leftovers - She Chose Health

  17. Gina, I love your recipes, and have made this one a few times! However, i do think the nutrition information is incorrect.  When i put the ingredients into the myfitnesspal recipe builder it matched the noodles to 3oz cooked noodles, which gives the nutrition info you posted.  However, if it’s 3oz of uncooked noodles, then it’s about 225 calories per serving.

  18. I made this soup with some leftover turkey we had and it was so good! I made it just how the recipe said and it was amazing! I love skinny soup recipes because you get such a big helping 🙂 so yummy!

  19. I make my stock as we eat Thanksgiving dinner! I have a HUGE stock pot that I put 2lb.carrots 2lb onions, head of garlic, a bunch of celery, peppercorns, bay leaf, salt, and the turkey carcass, pan drippings, and trimmings. I add 3-4 gallon water and let it simmer away for hours. I allow it to cool outside overnight. The next morning I strain and freeze lots and make a pot of dump soup. Dump soup is all the leftover veggies, turkey, mashed potatoes and even some stuffing into the stock. WOW!

  20. Also, wanted to add to my post that instead of egg noodles I just used about a cup of elbow macaroni. And that I had fresh corn on the cob so I cut the kernels off 1 cob to put in the soup and I loved the crunch it added to the soup. They did not get soft or mushy like the canned stuff probably would.

  21. Skinnytaste strikes again! Another keeper 🙂 I always thought that "real" soup probably involved a big meat bone in a pot that stewed for hours on the stove. I was skeptical of this recipe since it doesn't meet that criteria. But lo and behold–soup's on!! This was tasty and such a winter weather comfort! I omitted celery and substituted what I had on hand (cabbage, broccoli, crimini mushroom slices, scallions). Meatwise I added some diced leftover holiday ham (for salt) with the turkey. I used boxed broth but added some homemade frozen stock cubes. Spicewise I added cayenne pepper, garlic + onion powder, and 1 tbsp. dried parsley. From this recipe I learned that good homemade soup doesn't have to labor on the stove all day long for it to be "real" or real good!

  22. Hi Gina – would using boneless, skinless chicken breasts and ff low sod chicken broth change the total WW+ pts?

  23. Hi Gina. Just wondering if this freezes well? Thanks for all your hard work. Happy New Year to you and your family.

    Renaye

    1. I made 3 batches of this soup after Thanksgiving (it was so good after the first that I decided to forgo the turkey sandwiches and use ALL leftover Turkey in this soup). I froze in 16oz plastic Ball freezer jars. I'm now dwindling down to my last 2 containers and I'm sad. It freezes wonderfully!

  24. Avatar photo
    Diana @ Eating Made Easy

    Just the recipe I was looking for! It's soup season…and I have loads of turkey leftovers.

  25. This turned out so so very good, I used 4 oz of whole wheat noodles because that is what I had so I am just going to give it 4 PP. The whole house smells so good and I have lunch all week and believe me this is a soup kinda week…

  26. I made this recently when I was sick. It was delicious, easy, and hit the spot when I wasn't feeling well. I substituted leftover chicken for turkey. Thanks for the recipe!

  27. Made this for my family with the Easter leftovers.. it was awesome! Thanks for the recipe, first time I have ever made soup.

  28. My family love this and Turkey Chili Taco Soup . We have soup and game night every year and both soup were a success…… will make again !!!!!!! Thank you

  29. I stumbled upon this site when I was looking for a cream of broccoli soup. Be still my heart! I tried the "Chicken Parmesan." It was fabulous! I picked up ingredients to make "Baked Potato Soup." I shared this site with my WW friends.

  30. Throw a sweet potato in the stock (whole not cut up) while cooking, it sucks up all the fat, no skimming required. Throw the sweet potato away before eating! Works for chicken noodle as well…

  31. had this for dinner tonight.it was quick easy and tasty! thank you for another great recipe. i wish i had more turkey so i could make another batch! 🙂

  32. i made this for dinner tonight using the last of a turkey breast i had cooked in the crockpot. this was wonderful. we had it for dinner tonight. it was perfect as it is freezing out here in buffalo ny

  33. This was delicious! I used your directions to make stock the other day, so I was excited to make the soup to go with it. I did tweak just a little bit – I added an additional 2 c stock, a 15 ounce can of corn, drained, (because that's what my mom does), and an additional ounce of noodles. It served 3, with about a quart leftover, so I don't think I changed the point value much. I'll make this next time my son is sick – chicken noodle is his favorite comfort food. Thanks!

  34. I made this with barley instead of the noodles and added cabbage for something extra…i love adding cabbage to soups. Love this recipe!

  35. @Angela I am thinking of trying this with the roasted turkey breast from my local grocery. I also love turkey and luckily they have not only the fresh roasted chickens but the fresh roasted turkey breasts as well. I love not having to wait for holiday time for turkey. And now I can also have turkey soup!

  36. I'm not a huge chicken and noodle soup fan (unless I'm sick). But I needed something quick and easy to use my leftover turkey. I do what I always do and check your website and saw this recipe and decided why not? I have to admit this was wonderful!!! As Angela said just like Panera's chicken noodle soup. Extremelly filling! Thanks for the time you take to share your wonderful recipes. I have loved all that I have tried!!

  37. This was fabulous, Gina! I had to come back and make sure everyone knows this is a wonderful low-point soup option. It's pretty much the same as Panera Bread's chicken noodle soup, but a lot cheaper! 🙂 I will definitely be making this with shredded chicken in the future (even though I just love leftover turkey; I wish I had it around a lot more often). Thanks for a great lunch recipe for this week!

  38. This looks delish! I was wondering, do you put the uncooked noodles in the soup and let them cook in the broth or cook the noodles separately and add later?

  39. Hi Gina,

    Love your site! Just wondering about the calories/points for this recipe. I make a very similar soup and when I analyzed your recipe through the software I use, I came up with 235 calories, 6 g fat, 13 g carbs, 2 g fiber and 30 g protein, which equates to 5 PointsPlus?

    Thanks,
    Martha

    1. I was wondering the same thing- I got the same info as you….much different number than what is listed

  40. Hi Gina, I have never ever posted on a blog before but have to let you know that I cooked your Turkey, lightened up stuffing, sweet potato brulee, and parmesan green beans for my In-Laws in Australia (for a belated Thanksgiving). It was amazing! Everyone loved the food. So good to know it wasn't blowing the calories out as well.

    Thank you so much for doing what you do. The combination of fresh ingredients and flavours along with the WeightWatchers points in inspiring. Please keep them coming!

    Thanks, Jamie

  41. Hi Gina!!! This was the perfect way to use the rest of meat on the bone on my brined turkey breast and all those pesky leftover onions, celery, carrots and fresh parsley I had in fridge!!!! I am so lucky to have you as my Go-To!!! And thanks again for walking me through my first turkey endeavor- it came out excellent and so juicy- you really did help me stay calm too!!! Ok got to go now -SOUPS ON!!!!! Smells heavenly 🙂

  42. I'm so excited to try this!! I've always wanted a good recipe for this, and the low points sounds AWESOME after this week! I survive on your recipes…I will be using this one tonight!

  43. Gina your recipes are awesome !

    you can also substitute dreamfields pasta and lower the carb count. I serve it to my very italian family in they have no clue!

  44. Avatar photo
    Personalized Sketches and Sentiments

    Yummy Turkey soup!

    I wanted to be sure to stop by and say Happy Thanksgiving! So thankful to have met you here in blogland! Thank you for sharing your recipes!

    Blessings & Aloha!

  45. Avatar photo
    Katherine Martinelli

    What a great idea for Thanksgiving leftovers. Sandwiches are good, but turkey soup sounds even better!

  46. Avatar photo
    peanutbutterandpeppers.com

    Great idea! With my Husband and I and a 10lbs bird, were sure to have left overs!!

  47. We make the same thing… we call it Turkey Bone soup.. cuz you gotta be careful or you might find a tiny turkey bone in it.. 😉

    We also make Turkey Chop Suey with leftover turkey. We always cook a giant one or two so we can have enough leftovers to make both. 😀

  48. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Just as someone mentioned here, I always refrigerate my stock so I can remove all the fat. Then if I don't use it in soup, I freeze the extra to use in recipes.

    Beth, a hen vs chicken should be the same.

  49. Avatar photo
    Hilliary@ Happily Ever Healthy

    Looks delicious! I will have to make this with all the leftover thanksgiving turkey!

  50. Question: I make Hen Broth to use to prepare my Cornbread Dressing with, as it is much richer in flavor, etc… for that use. Do you know if Hen Broth in itself is higher in calories and/or points versus Chicken Broth? There is no added fat to it, I use 2 5 lb hens, carrots, onion, celery, tomatoes, and some salt and simmer for 3 hours. If I used it as a soup base I would definitely skim the fat off. How do you determine points for Chicken Broth/Stock vs Hen Broth/Stock vs Turkey Broth/Stock? Thanks Gina! This soup looks awesome!

  51. A suggestion if you make your own stock – after cooking and straining the broth, refrigerate it overnight and then skim the fat off the top to make a lower-fat stock. Yummy!

    1. Just a quick question, since this will be my second year doing the turkey, you use all the water, "juice," from the turkey that's at the bottom of the pan to make the broth?

    2. I typically use as suggested above, the turkey bone and bits attached. Add the carrot,celery and onion, cover with water and boil, then simmer. When done, remove everything and refrigerate. Pick the bones to use the meat and discard everything else. When you get ready to make the soup, add any vegetables you would like to use in the soup and any turkey. I would at this time add any strained juice from pan which has been loosened with a little water (deglaze).