This recipe for Next Day Turkey Soup is a great way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey meat and it’s so nice for a lighter meal.
Still have your Thanksgiving turkey carcass? Don’t let it go to waste. Use it to make the best turkey soup recipe. Let the carcass simmer in broth for a couple of hours and it’ll help you make an unbelievable, rich-flavored stock for this light and hearty soup.
Ingredients needed:
- broth (chicken, vegetable or turkey)
- turkey carcass
- onion, carrot and celery
- bay leaf
- extra virgin olive oil
- garlic
- sweet potato
- fresh sage
- green beans
- turkey
How to make Next Day Turkey Soup:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
SIMMER the BROTH:
-
To a large pot, add the broth, turkey carcass, veggies and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 1½ hours.
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Remove the turkey carcass from the pot with tongs (and discard). Strain the broth through a fine sieve and discard the solids. Transfer the broth to a bowl; cover and set aside. You can also prepare the broth the night before and store it in the refrigerator until the next day.
MAKE THE SOUP:
-
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and then add the garlic cloves, cooking until lightly browned. Add the minced onion, carrot, celery and sweet potatoes. Saute over medium-low heat until softened, about 7 or 8 minutes.
-
Add the chopped sage to the soup pot along with the turkey broth and the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a simmer. When the simmering begins, add the green beans and turkey meat to the soup. Bring it back up to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 more minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
It’s a perfect, lighter dinner choice after a couple of days of eating all of those heavy leftover side dishes. So, if you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan after a few days of eating rich foods, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card at the end of this post.
The Quick and Easy Way to Make Turkey Soup with no turkey carcass:
If you don’t have a turkey carcass, pick up some turkey broth at the store. It should be available this time of year. If not, it’s okay to use chicken. Just use that broth in place of the long simmering broth in the recipe and continue with the recipe to make the soup.
There is something really satisfying about having a large pot of soup simmering away on the stove. With a couple of rolls for dunking, it makes for a nice, comforting dinner. And with any luck you’ll have enough for a few days worth of lunches too.
If you happen to have more leftover turkey, be sure to make my Leftover Turkey Salad Sandwiches! They’re pretty amazing. Enjoy!
Recipes Using Turkey Leftovers:
- Cranberry Turkey Enchiladas
- Turkey Cranberry Strudel
- Leftover Turkey Tacos
- Turkey Spinach Salad with Chutney Vinaigrette
- Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup
- Turkey Noodle Casserole
Next Day Turkey Soup
Ingredients
FOR SIMMERING:
SOUP:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and minced
- 1 large stalk celery, minced
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 medium bay leaf
- 1 cup trimmed green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 cups turkey meat, shredded or cubed
Instructions
SIMMER:
- To a large pot, add the broth and other simmering ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 1½ hours.
- Remove the turkey carcass from the pot with tongs (and discard). Strain the broth through a fine sieve and discard the solids. Transfer the broth to a bowl; cover and set aside. You can also prepare the broth the night before and store it in the refrigerator until the next day.
MAKE THE SOUP:
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and then add the garlic cloves, cooking until lightly browned. Add the minced onion, carrot, celery and sweet potatoes. Saute over medium-low heat until softened, about 7 or 8 minutes.
- Add the chopped sage to the soup pot along with the turkey broth and the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a simmer. When the simmering begins, add the green beans and turkey meat to the soup. Bring it back up to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 more minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Notes
- If you're preparing this recipe as gluten-free, just be sure to use chicken broth and turkey meat that are free of gluten.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was so good last year, I’m back again!
Oh yes, this does look good!