This turkey soup is what I always look forward to after the holidays! It’s very simple, incredibly delicious, and the perfect meal for any leftover turkey.
Why You’ll Love This Turkey Soup
Fridge cleanout soups are the best. And after Thanksgiving or Christmas, when I see leftover roast turkey on the platter, I’m actually genuinely excited. Because that means I’ll be making this turkey soup the next day! It’s light and comforting, similar to my chicken soup, and the type of healthy meal I crave after a night of indulgence. With tender vegetables, plenty of turkey, and a savory, feel-good broth, it’s truly the perfect leftover turkey recipe! Here’s what else I love about this recipe:
- The ingredient list is short and sweet. And you likely have these veggies and herbs on hand after the holidays.
- It’s a flexible soup. Feel free to add in other leftover ingredients you have on hand. Just toss them in!
- It’s perfect for healthy meal prep. You can store this in the fridge to enjoy all week long or freeze it to sip on months into the future.
Turkey Soup Ingredients
- Mirepoix vegetables: I love a simple mirepoix base (carrots, celery, and onion) for a light and healthy soup.
- Yukon gold potatoes: I’m using yellow potatoes in this recipe, but if you happen to have sweet potatoes lying around, feel free to swap those in.
- Shredded turkey: You can shred or dice your turkey—it’s up to you!
- Fresh herbs and aromatics: Fresh garlic, sprigs of thyme, and chopped parsley give this soup a fragrant, herbal touch.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How To Make Turkey Soup
Step one: Add the carrots, celery, and onion, and let them cook for 4 to 5 minutes until they start to soften, giving them a stir every so often. Then, add the garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook for another minute until everything smells amazing.
Step two: Toss in the potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, and broth. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are perfectly fork-tender.
Step three: Stir in the shredded turkey and let it warm through for 1 to 2 minutes. It doesn’t need long because the meat is already cooked!
Step four: Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf, then stir in the parsley. Ladle into bowls and top with a little extra parsley and black pepper. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
You’ll love that this soup can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months! Just let it cool before storing it in any container. When reheating, you can warm it gently on the stovetop or microwave individual portions.
More LEFTOVER TURKEY RECIPES
- Turkey Cobb Salad: The ultimate fall salad.
- Light Turkey Casserole: So easy and comforting.
- Turkey Cranberry Hash: Such a delicious breakfast idea.
If you try this turkey soup recipe, let me know how it turns out in the comments below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven My favorite soup pot!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups shredded turkey meat
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Saute the veggies. Heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the pot and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper, and stir for another minute.
- Add the potatoes. Add the potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer the soup for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are just fork tender.
- Add the turkey. Add the shredded turkey to the pot and simmer for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until warmed through.
- Serve. Remove the sprigs of thyme and the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley. Garnish with additional fresh parsley and black pepper before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- Each serving is about 2 cups.Â
- If you want to shred the turkey easily, check out my shredded chicken recipe for my favorite kitchen hack!Â
- Storage tips: Let the soup cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Behind The Scenes
It was a grey, cold and rainy day when I filmed this turkey soup recipe! Which made eating a bowl of this warming and cozy soup all the better. Did you watch the video above? Nearly 10 years after starting my YouTube channel and I’m still a one-woman filming and editing machine. Most people think I have a filming crew and editors, but nope, I still do it all by myself. 😉
Hi i was wondering can i use chicken stock
?
Hi Denise – Yes, that’s fine!
Great recipe, Lisa! Do you have a suggestion for a nontoxic storage container for freezing soup?
Hi Diane – I love using my glass Weck jars. You can find them linked on my Shop page!
The title of this recipe says it all…easy and a great way to use up leftovers of all kinds, not just the turkey. I used Lisa’s recipe as a guide but added a cup of the turkey drippings (minus the fat) that I had frozen, some leftover mashed potatoes and a bit of leftover stuffing. I threw in a handful of quinoa and frozen peas. This came together quickly with a delicious result. Thanks for another winner recipe, Lisa. Happy New Year!
Thrilled to hear you loved this turkey soup, Norma!
Hi Lisa, I’m always trying my best not to waste food. The Christmas turkey carcass was boiled into a savoury broth, and with leftover turkey meat I made your delicious turkey soup. The only change swapping yukon to sweet potatoes as I like the added taste. A perfect meal for these cold Canadian winters, thank you!
Glad this was the perfect leftover recipe, Rob!
Soooooo good! What a great way to use up the holiday left overs. I tossed in the left over gravy and a couple big ladles of leftover wild rice pilaf. And for some odd reason, I never buy fresh parsley…but I did this time and WOW, it just adds that wonderful herb-y flavor. Thank You!!!
Sounds amazing! Glad you’re loving this recipe, Darcy.
Your turkey soup recipe was delicious and it hit the spot on these chilly days. I made a big enough pot to share with family.
Glad this turkey soup was a hit for a chilly day, Sandra!
I had leftover turkey from thanksgiving and it got so cold this weekend that I decided soup would be it. I had all the ingredients to make Lisa’s Turkey Soup and it was delicious. It definitely will be a staple for us this winter.
Perfect timing to make this soup! Glad you loved it, Aleta.
I made this after Thanksgiving one year to use up leftovers! It was delicious and I loved the flexibility! I even added some leftover turkey gravy for extra richness and flavor, and a few other random veggies I had lying around, like cauliflower and peas. Yummm!
Hi Elizabeth – I love that you added some turkey gravy to this soup for extra flavor, what a great idea!
After making your roasted Turkey recipe which was a hit by the way! I saw in my newsletter that you had Turkey soup recipe. The picture of it looked so cozy delicious! So instead of just freezing the left over turkey, I decided to try this recipe. It was so yummy! My picky eating grandchildren even loved it! Thank you for sharing this recipe with the whole world!
Glad you chose to make this soup with your turkey leftovers, Yesenia!
This recipe was easy, delicious and took care of my left over turkey. I will be making it again next year.
Glad this turkey soup came in handy for holiday leftovers, Elena!
I made this soup without the potatoes and it was so good. Even hubby loved it 🥰 which he doesn’t usually eat my soups for 2 days in a row like this one!
Glad this was delicious even without the potatoes! Enjoy, Debbie.
This was delicious and so easy. I made turkey stock with my turkey carcass and used that for the broth. I needed to double, maybe triple the recipe it was so good, my husband kept asking if there was more. So much for leftovers!!
Glad this was the perfect meal to enjoy after Thanksgiving, Alissa!
A simple yet refreshing recipe! Great on a cold day!
Can’t beat this for a cold, winter day! Enjoy, Lori.
Delicious. I like to use chicken bouillon instead of salt. My 43 yr old son ate this on top a serving of leftover stuffing. He thought he was in heaven. The soup is a nice reprieve after all the food we have eaten this week leading up to and including thanksgiving. Thanks Lisa.
What a fabulous combination for leftovers! Glad you both loved this soup, Cindy.
This soup is like a warm, cozy hug. Even though it is a hearty soup, it seems light. It is a nice change from chicken soup. We are going to pick up another turkey, so we can fill the freezer with turkey soup for the winter.
Yes, it really is a cozy hug in a bowl! And so smart of you to make extra batches to enjoy for the winter season.
Just made this using leftover turkey and it was so simple, yet so delicious! I used chicken bone broth for extra protein, and it definitely needed an additional 2 cups of broth but other than that, it was very good! Even my 2 young kiddos loved it.
So glad you and your kiddos enjoyed it, Courtney! And yes, feel free to make it more brothy as well.
Can I substitute a sweet potato for the Yukon potatoes in this recipe?
Hi Helen – yes, absolutely! Enjoy!
This recipe was so simple and delicious. My son is a very picky eater, and even he said he loved it and wants it again.
Wonderful! I’m so happy your son loved this soup, Janet.
Delicious! Great use of leftover turkey & veggies. Paired with a loaf of rosemary bread & family enjoyed for lunch. Thank you!
Perfect! I’m glad you enjoyed this turkey soup for lunch. Thanks, Erica!
This turkey soup was easy & fabulous. Had turkey bones in crock pot making the broth. I used leftover mashed potatoes .deeeelicious !!! Thank you.
Thrilled to hear you loved this turkey soup, Cher!