Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup

For me, the best part of Thanksgiving dinner is the leftovers. Day one is the day for turkey sandwiches and plates of reheated dinner. And this turkey noodle soup is the ideal next step for leftovers. It not only uses up the leftover turkey meat, but also any vegetables and herbs you may have left from the big day. 

• Leftover turkey. You’ll need 4 cups shredded, cooked turkey. Dark or white meat will work. To save yourself some prep time, shred the meat as you’re putting away the leftover Thanksgiving turkey. You can swap in cooked chicken here.
• Mirepoix. This is the French word for their classic combination of carrots, onion, and celery. Sautéed together, they form a delicious base of flavor for the soup.
• Herbs and garlic. Fresh thyme and garlic add an herby, garlicky punch, but you can use a big pinch of dried thyme if that’s all you have. Fresh parsley and dill brighten up the soup as a garnish when serving.
• Broth. Homemade chicken or turkey stock makes this soup amazing, but store-bought low-sodium broth is also great. Vegetable broth will also work here.
• Oil and butter. A combination of olive oil and butter is used to sauté the vegetables and add a little richness, but you can just one or the other too.
• Egg noodles. Get dried wide egg noodles for that classic turkey noodle soup vibe.

A hearty turkey soup doesn’t have to be complicated and can come together in just 20 minutes. Here are the four basic steps.

1. Sauté the mirepoix and aromatics. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil and butter. Then add in some garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant.
2. Simmer with the broth. Add in turkey or chicken broth and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
3. Cook the noodles. While the soup is simmering, cook dried wide egg noodles separately. Cook them separately so that the noodles don’t absorb too much broth when they’re added to the soup. This also keeps the soup from getting too starchy.
4. Add the turkey. When the soup is ready, stir in the shredded turkey and noodles. Putting them in last will keep them from overcooking. Serve the soup with fresh parsley or dill.

While this soup is perfectly delicious when made with a store-bought chicken stock, you can take it to the next level in flavor by making your own turkey stock. It’s very simple and you likely already have all the ingredients.

All you have to do is put your turkey carcass and any leftover bones into a big stockpot. Cover it with water and add aromatics like onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Simmer this for a few hours, drain the liquid from the solid, and voila! You have homemade, richly flavored turkey stock.