Loaded with shredded turkey, hearty vegetables, and chewy egg noodles, this turkey noodle soup is the easiest way to use up all of those Thanksgiving leftovers taking up space in the fridge.
The Easiest Post-Thanksgiving Soup to Use Up Those Turkey Leftovers
We’re turkey obsessed in this house. So much so that I always roast an extra turkey breast to make sure I have enough for making my curry-infused turkey pot pie and creamy turkey tetrazzini.
And I never forget that the freezer is leftover turkey’s best friend, turning to our favorite leftover turkey recipes during the cooldown period between Thanksgiving and Christmas to make meals easy.
But nothing beats this easy leftover turkey noodle soup. It’s the perfect recipe for using up not only our turkey leftovers, but some of those perishable fresh herbs and aromatics I used to make my favorite stuffing and casseroles.
This easy-breezy soup takes just 15 minutes to prep and another 30ish minutes to simmer. It’s a forgiving recipe that works equally well with leftover cooked chicken for a chicken noodle soup vibe, plus almost any fresh herb or veggie you need to use up.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Cook with turkey stock for maximum turkey flavor. My homemade turkey stock is rich, flavorful, and full of body. If you roasted a whole turkey this year, you can use the carcass to make stock so nothing goes to waste.
Cook the egg noodles separately to ward off sogginess. For years, I cooked my noodles directly in my turkey soup. That first ladleful tasted fantastic, but the noodles always turned to mush after sitting in the broth overnight. If you know you won’t be able to eat the entire batch of soup in one go, add the noodles to your bowl and then ladle the soup over top to preserve their chewy texture.
Sauté the aromatics until softened to reduce the simmer time. If you dump everything into the pot before the carrots, celery, and onion are nice and tender, you’ll have to simmer the soup for much longer. You run the risk of overcooking your already-cooked turkey if you go this route.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Cooked turkey — It doesn’t matter whether you cooked a turkey breast, a whole bird, or made your turkey on a rotisserie. All turkey leftovers are welcome here!
- Butter — Sautéing the aromatics in butter rather than olive oil makes the soup a little richer.
- Aromatics — Diced celery, carrots, onion, and garlic form the flavor backbone of this turkey noodle vegetable soup. If you have other leftover veggies on hand that you think would work here, feel free to add them in.
- Fresh herbs — I used a blend of fresh thyme and parsley, but you can add a couple sprigs of any fresh herbs needing to be used up.
- Turkey stock — Can be swapped with chicken stock or broth.
- Kosher salt and black pepper — Always.
- Egg noodles — I love the chewiness that egg noodles add to this Thanksgiving turkey soup, but any short and sturdy pasta may be used.
Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
- Replace the cooked turkey with leftover roast chicken or poached chicken.
- Add a handful of fresh baby spinach for some greenery.
- Replace the thyme and parsley with a few sprigs of whatever fresh herb you’ve got on hand.
- Sub in ⅓ the amount of dried herbs if you ran out of fresh.
How to Make Turkey Noodle Soup in 3 Steps
- Cook the veggies until softened. If you chop the veggies the same size, they’ll cook in just 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic last so it doesn’t burn.
- Stir in the stock, turkey, and herbs. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer until warmed through and the veggies are done to your liking.
- Cook the egg noodles separately. This helps keep them nice and chewy, and it gives you the option of storing them separately rather than stirring into the soup if you know you’ll have leftovers.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 4 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 3 quarts turkey stock or chicken broth, (12 cups)
- 3 cups cooked and shredded or chopped turkey
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves removed
- ⅛ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 ounces dried egg noodles
Instructions
- Cook the veggies. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium. Add 1 chopped onion, 4 chopped carrots, and 3 chopped celery ribs. Cook until the vegetables soften, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes. Stir in 4 pressed garlic cloves and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the stock and shredded turkey. Add 3 quarts turkey stock or broth, 3 cups shredded turkey, leaves from 3 fresh thyme sprigs, ⅛ teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
- Cook the noodles separately, then add to the soup. While the soup cooks, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add 6 ounces egg noodles, and cook for about 8 minutes or until tender but still chewy. Add the noodles to the soup, garnish with more chopped parsley if desired, and serve.
Nutrition
What to Serve With Turkey Egg Noodle Soup
- Garlic Bread
- Arugula Salad With Shaved Parmesan
- Kale, Wild Rice, and Butternut Squash Salad
- Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
- Fluffy Dinner Rolls
Storage Tips
Always store the egg noodles and soup separately, otherwise the noodles will become mushy as they sit and soak up the broth. The soup (sans noodles) will last up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
More Leftover Turkey Recipes
- 20+ Leftover Turkey Recipes
- Turkey Tetrazzini
- Turkey Pot Pie Soup
- Curry Turkey Pot Pie
- One-Pot Turkey Pasta
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