A quick and easy turkey Soup recipe is a go-to after holiday meals!

This shortcut soup tastes like it’s been cooking all day and has tender pieces of turkey, carrots, onions, celery, and pasta noodles simmered a turkey broth.

It’s easy to make and only takes about 25 minutes, a great option for busy weeknights.

Turkey Soup in a pot

Ingredients in Turkey Soup

Broth: Use either homemade or boxed turkey broth or even chicken broth or stock in this recipe. The addition of poultry seasoning and a sprinkle of parsley really adds a homemade flavor to boxed broth.

To make homemade turkey soup from scratch, use the leftover turkey carcass or bones from Thanksgiving to make homemade turkey stock. You can also check with your local deli; they sometimes sell homemade broth or stock. Once the broth is prepared, follow the directions below to prepare the soup.

Vegetables: I keep it simple with carrots, celery, and onion. Add your favorite veggies like sweet potatoes, mushrooms, canned tomatoes, green beans, or corn.

Noodles: Add any kind of pasta or egg noodles to this recipe. Cook pasta or rice on the side for leftovers and add to each bowl. You can also use white rice, brown rice, or wild rice blend.

Turkey: This is a leftover turkey soup recipe but if you don’t have leftover turkey meat, cooked chicken works too.

turkey , oil , seasoning , broth , noodles , celery , carrots , parsley , onion , flour and bay leaf with seasonings to make Turkey Soup with labels

How To Make Turkey Soup

This recipe is a shortcut version of a homemade turkey soup recipe. It tastes like it’s been cooking all day!

  1. Soften the onion in olive oil in a large dutch oven.
  2. Add veggies, turkey, poultry seasoning, and herbs, and simmer for a few minutes.
  3. Add noodles and cook until tender. Serve.

A Soup-er Soup Tip

Once the onion is softened, I stir in a tablespoon of flour. This is optional, but it’s one of my favorite secrets for a perfect broth soup. It isn’t enough flour to thicken the soup, but it just gives the broth a little bit of body.

bowls of Turkey Soup
How to Store Turkey Soup

If planning for leftovers, keep the noodles or rice separate when cooking. Turkey soup can be stored for 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 4 months.

How To Freeze Turkey Soup

Freeze it in individual freezer bags to make reheating the right amount easier. Thaw directly in a saucepan or large pot over medium heat.

Pasta can sometimes change in texture when frozen and reheated so it’s best to omit the pasta and add it when you reheat it.

How to Thicken Soup

Broth-based soups like turkey noodle soup generally aren’t thickened. I add a tiny bit of flour to give the broth a little bit of body, and the starches in the pasta do a good job of creating a silky broth that isn’t too thick or thin.

If you prefer a slightly thicker broth soup, combine equal parts cornstarch and water (a tablespoon or two) and whisk it into the simmering soup. Let it boil for a minute or two with the slurry to get rid of any starchy flavor.

up close of turkey soup with herbs

More Ways to Love Leftover Turkey

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Turkey Soup in a pot
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Turkey Soup

This easy turkey soup is a family favorite with a rich broth, tender vegetables and juicy leftover turkey chunks.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

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Ingredients  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 3 large carrots peeled and sliced
  • 2 ribs celery
  • 2 to 3 cups cooked chopped turkey or shredded
  • 8 cups turkey broth or chicken broth, homemade or store bought
  • ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 4 ounces medium shells about 1 ½ cups, or medium pasta
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley chopped, optional

Instructions 

  • Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and cook for 1 minute.
  • Stir in carrots, celery, turkey, broth, poultry seasoning, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes.  
  • Add noodles (*see note) and cook 8-10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, discard bay leaf and stir in parsley.
  • Season to taste and serve.

Notes

Chicken broth can be substituted for turkey broth.
If planning for leftovers, cook the pasta or noodles on the side and add them to each bowl when serving. If the noodles are stored in the soup, they will soak up the broth and become mushy.
Make this recipe into a turkey rice soup by substituting cooked rice or minute rice for the pasta.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
 
4.99 from 151 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 221 | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 1228mg | Potassium: 563mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 5230IU | Vitamin C: 26.4mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.7mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

    1. The broth is listed in step 2.

      Stir in carrots, celery, turkey, broth, poultry seasoning, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes.

    2. Hi Sherri — You might try being inquisitive instead of accusatory. For example, “I don’t see where to add the broth. Could you please clarify?” And “Thanks so much for posting this recipe freely for all of us to benefit from.”

  1. great recipe! Similar to an old family recipe my mother used to make. Using your recipe, simply adding 1 cup uncooked barley and 1 cup uncooked rice at the start and let simmer until both are cooked. Makes this a truly fabulous meal.5 stars

  2. I just made this for the first time for a church supper. Everyone RAVED over it! A new soup to add to my recipes5 stars

  3. I just made this tonight and it was incredible. I had made my own turkey bone broth with some crushed red pepper, added mushrooms and kale that were going bad in the fridge, and the zest from the lemon and was blown away with the flavor.

    I will make this regularly now. Thank you!!!5 stars

  4. I adapted this soup recipe with chicken broth, potatoes and a splash of lemon for brightness. Tasted so good that the husband had seconds. I liked the use of flour.5 stars

  5. This is a lovely, simple and yummy recipe. I made the chef’s homemade Turkey stock for use in this recipe….outstanding. This soup has depth of flavor and just the right amount of ingredients. The only thing I added was a couple of smashed cloves of garlic to the broth. Cooking the pasta separately is a must. It’s a sin not to make this!5 stars

  6. Just made this. The recipe was easy to follow and my family loved it! I will definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing!5 stars

  7. Amazingly easy and so good! I used a box of turkey broth and a box of low sodium chicken broth with 3 uncooked turkey drumsticks. It will be added into our “rotation” for sure!5 stars

  8. I tried this turkey soup recipe to use up my Christmas turkey and it was delicious and easy to make! I highly recommend this recipe to anyone who needs to come up with something different.5 stars

  9. I loved this so much, I contiplating buying another guy just to make this again. I am currently in the process of making this with chicken for my lunches this week!5 stars

  10. This recipe was perfect to use with the homemade turkey broth and leftover turkey we had from Thanksgiving. I also used riced cauliflower instead of pasta. My husband had two servings which is a clear indication that it was delicious!5 stars

  11. great recipe, though I would make two suggestions…..boil the pasta separately, rinse and place a serving portion in each soup bowl and ladle the soup over the top (this way you can freeze the leftover soup and always have fresh noodles each time you serve it)….also, boil (with a slow rolling boil) the carrots and celery in the broth for an hour and ad the turkey when you boil the pasta in another pan, so that the turkey remains more or less in tact (rather than disintegrating into the broth if cooked too long, the turkey already being cooked just needs to be heated up, not recooked).4 stars

  12. This is so easy, so quick, and so delicious! I omitted the bay leaf and used chicken broth and added basil, thyme, and a bit of lavender to mine–Foolproof!5 stars