Leftover Turkey Vegetable Soup

While Thanksgiving dinner is hands-down my favorite holiday meal of the year, there is one thing I look forward to even more than our family feast: the day-after turkey soup. There’s definitely no shortage of ways to repurpose Thanksgiving leftovers, but this soup will forever be at the top of my list. Whether I was the one cooking or was sent home with a generous pile of meat, a hearty pot of turkey and vegetable soup is a tradition in my family, and I’ve been making this one for almost 20 years. Turkey vegetable soup is comforting, hyet light and the perfect thing to tuck into the day after a big meal.

• It comes together with little time and effort. This is how all post-Thanksgiving meals should be. The most this soup will ask of you is chopping vegetables and dicing or shredding the leftover turkey. f you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner, add a few more onions, carrots, and celery to the pile for dicing while you’re prepping for other dishes. It only takes a few minutes and it will save you from doing the same again in a couple days. Store the diced veggies in a zip-top bag in the fridge until you’re ready to simmer your soup.
• It freezes well. Not only that but it’s easy to scale up for a double batch. So, if you have a lot of leftover turkey to use up or you over leftovers at the moment, pop the soup in the freezer for later. It will keep well for months, and your future self will be thrilled to have it on hand.

• Cooked turkey. Here’s a great way to use up some of that leftover meat (you’ll use three cups worth!).
• Broth. If you made the most of your turkey bones and made a big pot of turkey stock, this is a great time to put it to work. If not, don’t sweat it, boxed low-sodium turkey broth or chicken broth work great.
• Vegetables. You’ll sauté a mix of onions, carrots, and celery to get the soup started. Have leftover veggies from dinner still hanging out in the fridge? Stir them into the soup at the end of cooking.
• Herbs. For a classic flavor, the soup is simmered with a couple dried bay leaves and fresh thyme sprigs (you can swap in 1 teaspoon of dried thyme if you don’t have fresh handy). If you have a bunch of leftover herbs from Thanksgiving dinner, this is a great time to use them up: toss in a couple extra sprigs of time, try chopped sage leaves, and sprinkle the bowls with a generous shower of chopped parsley for serving.

1. Soften the vegetables. Cook the vegetables in melted butter just until they begin to soften.
2. Mix in tomato paste. Stir in tomato paste to coat the vegetables and cook until its darkened in color.
3. Add the turkey and broth, then simmer. Bring to a boil, then gently simmer the soup to allow the flavors to meld.