This Easy Turkey Noodle Soup is a great way to keep enjoying Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. This recipe is not only savory but healthy, too. Carrots, quinoa noodles, and tomatoes add extra flavor and nutrition to an already good-for-you soup!
I hope your Thanksgiving will be a wonderful day full of tasty food, good family time, football, and then some more tasty food. Because: best holiday ever?
If you're like us, you're probably gonna be knee-deep in Thanksgiving leftovers right now. If that sounds like you, I want to share this simple and easy turkey noodle soup recipe you can use to make the most of your leftovers.
Now, I love Thanksgiving food and the whole spread with the fixings. But, yes, there does come a time when I'd rather enjoy different tastes and flavor combinations. Like with this leftover turkey salad.
That's the beauty of this easy turkey noodle soup. Well, that AND it's deliciousness.
Give me a big steaming bowl of this turkey soup with some crusty bread and I'm one happy camper.
As you know, eating clean is important to me and this soup is one simple way to make a healthy diet happen.
And, this easy turkey noodle soup is a great source of protein, with 17 grams in every serving. It’s got vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, and fiber, too. So just like my Low Carb Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup, it’s super good for you and a hearty meal.
A pot of delicious soup simmering on the stove is my idea of happiness. Make it yours, too!
AFTER CARVING, SAVE THE TURKEY CARCASS
Using the turkey carcass will add so much flavor to your soup, so be sure not to throw it out. I like to place mine in a freezer-safe bag and toss it in the fridge. If you happened to have picked your turkey clean and don't have any leftover turkey meat to use in this recipe, no worries. Just use the carcass as written in the recipe, but also add in some turkey from the store -- I've used a few turkey legs and a breast on occasion. Cook that along with the carcass and then remove all the meat just like you would have.
WHAT’S IN THIS EASY TURKEY NOODLE SOUP?
To make this delicious yet Easy Turkey Noodle Soup, you’ll need the following healthy ingredients:
- Turkey carcass (or a turkey breast)
- Vegetable and chicken stock
- Carrots
- Celery
- Yellow onions
- Can of diced tomatoes
- Spices
- Quinoa noodles
TIPS FOR MAKING EASY TURKEY NOODLE SOUP
Keep these things in mind to make this the best turkey soup ever. Take a look at my instructions below for making the soup with or without a turkey carcass; you'll get yummy results either way.
- Always buy low-sodium chicken and vegetable stock. It’s important not to overdo your sodium intake. That’s one reason I like to make my own soup – I know exactly what is going into it. Canned soup can have tons of sodium, and this soup is just so much more flavorful.
- If you have extra juices from cooking your turkey, incorporate it into your stock measurements to savor the deliciousness of the turkey.
- Keep an eye on the level of liquid in your soup as it simmers. You can always add a little more stock as needed if you like.
How To Make Turkey Noodle Soup Without The Carcass
Can you still make turkey noodle soup if you don't have a turkey carcass to use in this recipe? Yes! While I do recommend using a carcass if you have it, you can easily make this recipe by skipping adding in the carcass. Add the veggies, chicken broth, and vegetable broth just as you normally would. Then, when you would have added the turkey from the carcass, just add whatever turkey you have.
You could also use roasted chicken pretty easily and turn this soup into a chicken noodle soup.
How To Make Turkey Noodle Soup With Turkey Breast
I like to cook turkey noodle soup with turkey breast, too. I follow the same tips as cooking turkey noodle soup without a carcass and cook my turkey at the same time as the veggies. So if you have a few uncooked turkey thighs, legs, or even turkey breast, just add them to the pot to cook along with the veggies in the broth. The only difference is you want to be sure not to overcook the meat this way. Once it's tender and can be pulled apart with a fork and, if you have bone-in breasts, remove it from the bone, and then it's good to go!
CAN I USE EITHER FRESH OR DRIED HERBS?
Yes, you can use either fresh or dried herbs in this easy turkey noodle soup (and I have provided measurements for both), but when it comes to the parsley I prefer to use fresh herbs. I just love the flavor of Italian parsley and the extra zing of taste it brings to this soup.
HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE TURKEY NOODLE SOUP
To store this easy turkey noodle soup, let it cool just a bit, place it in an airtight container, and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, gently simmer in a pot on the stove until warm.
Yes, there does come a time when we just can't eat turkey any more. You can easily freeze leftover turkey noodle soup for quick family meals. Here are some tips for how to freeze turkey noodle soup:
- Allow the soup to cool completely. You may want to transfer to a large bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool.
- Freeze in either gallon– or quart-sized freezer bags or freezer-safe containers for easy thawing and storage.
- Leave enough space at the top of the bag to allow for expansion during freezing. Squeeze as much air as possible out of the top of the bag and seal securely.
- Place the soup-filled freezer bags in the freezer, in a single, flat layer (using a rimmed baking sheet is helpful). Allow to freeze completely. Then, stack them on top of each other or standing side by side.
- Thaw bags of frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight when ready to reheat.
Yay for Thanksgiving and for leftover turkey noodle soup!
MORE HEALTHY SOUP RECIPES
As I mentioned, I just love the aroma of a pot of soup bubbling away. Here are more of my favorites!
- Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Healthy Minestrone Soup | Easy and Versatile Soup!
- Low Carb Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
- Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Easy Cream of Broccoli Soup
Easy Turkey Noodle Soup
Equipment
- Stock Pot or Large Deep Skillet
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 1 turkey carcass (can sub with turkey breast)
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
- 6 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 7 carrots, 3 quartered + 4 sliced, divided
- 5 stalks celery, 3 quartered + 2 sliced, divided
- 2 yellow onions, 1 quartered + 1 diced, divided
- 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (low salt)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 ½ tbsp. fresh)
- 1 teaspoon dried garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 tbsp. fresh)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tbsp. fresh)
- 2 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- Any leftover turkey meat
- 8 oz. quinoa noodles, uncooked
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, combine the turkey carcass, vegetable stock, chicken stock, 3 quartered carrots, 3 quartered celery stalks, and 1 quartered onion, and heat over medium-high.
- Cook until the vegetables are tender and meat falls off bones, about 30 minutes.
- Remove the carcass from the stock pot and set aside to cool. Remove other contents (carrots, celery, and onion) and discard.
- Once the turkey is cool enough to touch, remove any remaining meat and pull apart into bite size pieces.
- Add the remaining vegetables (4 sliced carrots, 2 sliced celery stalks, and 1 diced onion), the can of tomatoes, any leftover turkey you may have, the salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, and parsley into the pot. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
- Add any leftover turkey meat you may have, the turkey you just removed from the carcass, and the noodles to the pot and stir to combine. Cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until the noodles are tender, about 8-12 minutes.
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.
Sabrina Meichtry
I was literally just asking my friend this morning, Do you think I could just make homemade soup with the turkey breast I have here even though I have no bone broth/carcass??? THANK YOU for this post! Did you leave your turkey breast whole to cook and then just pulled it out/shredded it after about how long?
Dustin
So good with leftover turkey
Lacey Baier
Yep, one of my fave soups!