Turkey Noodle Soup - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

This Turkey Noodle Soup is hearty and comforting, packed with vegetables and pasta, and it’s perfect for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey! Make it on the stovetop, slow cooker or Instant Pot!

Turkey Noodle Soup - The Recipe Rebel (1)

Table of Contents

  • Ingredients Needed:
  • Turkey Noodle Soup on the Stovetop
  • How to make this Turkey Noodle Soup in the Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker Turkey Noodle Soup
  • Turkey Noodle Soup FAQs
  • Tips and Notes
  • How To Make Homemade Turkey Stock?
  • Turkey Noodle Soup Variations
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe

You know I love soup big time. It’s myfavorite wayto warm up on cooler days, but it’s perfect any time of year.

Thiseasy Turkey Noodle Soup recipeis agreat wayto useThanksgiving leftoversthenext day, or even leftovers from a chicken dinner.

Make your ownhomemade turkey stock for the best flavor, and you can change up the veggies you use to suit your taste.

Homemade turkey noodle soupwithhomemade turkey stockis one of thebest thingsyou can do for yourself on a cold day!

It’s a soul-warming, ailment-healing experience that I don’t ever regret.

Try myCrockpot Turkey with Garlic Butter,Turkey Meatballs,Turkey Kielbasa Pasta Bake, myOne Pot Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe, and thisCreamy Turkey Shepherd’s Piefor more delicious ways of usingleftover turkey meat.

Ingredients Needed:

Turkey Noodle Soup - The Recipe Rebel (2)
  • Oil:I like using canola oil, but olive oil or another kind of neutral-flavored oil will also work to sauté the vegetables.
  • Vegetables:use a classic mirepoix of carrots, celery, and onion for a great flavor base.
  • Seasonings:salt, dried parsley, freshly minced garlic, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and black pepper give an aromatic flavor to the soup.
  • Turkey Stock:use low-sodium turkey stock to add great flavor.
  • Pasta:I’ve used fusilli pasta for this recipe, but you can use any short pasta, like ziti, penne, or rigatoni.
  • Turkey:cooked, chopped turkey will add protein and flavor, you can useshredded chickenif you prefer.

Turkey Noodle Soup on the Stovetop

You will find the full recipe down in the pink recipe card!

  1. Sauté vegetables: Sauté the carrots, celery, and onion in your Dutch oven with oil.
  2. Add seasoning: Add salt, parsley, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper, and toast briefly.
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Turkey Noodle Soup - The Recipe Rebel (4)
  1. Cook with stock: Add turkey stock, stir, and cook.
  2. Add pasta. Stir in the pasta, turkey, cover, and let it cook until al dente.
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How to make this Turkey Noodle Soup in the Instant Pot

  1. Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot and stir.
  2. Put the lid on, select pressure cook or manual, high, and set the cooking time for 3 minutes.
  3. It will take about 15 minutes to come under pressure and begin counting down.
  4. Once the cooking time is over, let the pressure release naturally for 7-10 minutes, then gradually open the valve to release the remaining pressure, and serve.

Slow Cooker Turkey Noodle Soup

  1. Place turkey stock, turkey, onion, carrots, celery, salt, parsley, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and pepper in a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
  2. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours, or until carrots are tender.
  3. Turn the slow cooker to high and stir in the pasta.
  4. Cover and let cook on high for 10-20 minutes, just until al dente (the cooking time will depend on the type and shape of pasta used), and serve.

Turkey Noodle Soup FAQs

Is turkey stock the same as turkey broth?

Turkey stock and turkey broth are both made from simmering turkey meat and bones in water, but there are some differences between the two. Stock is typically made with just the bones and contains more collagen, which gives it a thicker, more gelatinous texture. It’s also usually more flavorful than broth, as it’s simmered for a longer period of time.
Broth, on the other hand, is made with meat and can include bones, but it’s typically simmered for a shorter amount of time and has a lighter, clearer consistency. Both can be used in a variety of recipes, but stock will give you the best tasting soup, as it is a richer and more flavorful base.

How do I store turkey noodle soup?

Store turkey noodle soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge.

Can I freeze turkey noodle soup?

One of my favorite things about soup is how well it freezes for later use. Once the soup has fully cooled, store it in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that the pasta will soften with freezing, so you may want to cook the soup without the noodles, then add them just before serving.

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Tips and Notes

  • I use this6 quart Instant Potand this6 quart slow cooker. They’re both a great size for making large meals for the whole family! Some devices have Bluetooth, meat probes, and other handy things to help you while you cook, so do a bit of research before investing in one to suit your needs.

How To Make Homemade Turkey Stock?

Making turkey carcass soup or stock may look different for everyone, so use this as more of a guide than an exact recipe.

Use a leftover turkey carcass to make turkey stock. The size of the turkey will differ, the veggies you have lying around may differ, and the seasonings you prefer can change each time you make it.

I am not always great about keeping vegetable scraps in the freezer for stock, so I throw in what I have. Since I always add tons of vegetables to my turkey noodle soup, I don’t worry much about missing out on flavor or nutrients!

If I don’t have any vegetable scraps, I will chop up an onion and maybe throw in a large carrot and a rib of celery too. I usually use some salt, pepper, garlic, and a variety of herbs like parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, or basil.

I will let it all cook overnight or all day in the slow cooker to let the flavors meld together.

Strain the bones and vegetables and use them right away or refrigerate them for later.

If you refrigerate the stock until chilled, any fat in the stock will float to the top and solidify, so you can easily remove it if you prefer.

Turkey Noodle Soup Variations

  • Use fresh herbs.You can use some fresh herbs instead of dried herbs if you want, but you will need more fresh herbs than dried ones.
  • Add vegetables.You can add some extra veggies to the soup if you like. Fresh vegetables like sweetcorn, mushrooms, peas, or chopped peppers would work well.
  • Make it gluten-free.You can make this Turkey Noodle Soup gluten-free by using gluten-free noodles and double-checking all of your packages.
  • Use rice instead of noodles.Swap the noodles for rice to make a turkey rice soup, and that is a good substitute for gluten-free pasta if you need one. If you use instant rice, add it for the last 5-10 minutes in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. If you’re using long-grain rice, you will likely want to add it at the beginning of the cooking time.
  • Dairy-free soup.This turkey soup is naturally dairy-free.
  • Make it creamy.Add a can of evaporated milk to make this soup creamy!
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Serving Suggestions

Turkey Noocle Soup is hearty and filling, especially as it includes pasta, but it will also go well with some sides to make it a fuller meal or to help it go a bit further.

Try some delicious bread on the side like myHomemade Crescent Rolls,No Knead Artisan Bread, orHomemade Breadsticks.

This meal would also work well withAir Fryer Broccolior someRoasted Green Beanson the side for extra nutrition!

Dinner

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Dinner

Italian Sausage Soup

Dinner

Cabbage Roll Soup

Dinner

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

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Turkey Noodle Soup

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 6 votes

This Turkey Noodle Soup is hearty and comforting, packed with vegetables and pasta, and it's perfect for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey! Make it on the stovetop, slow cooker or Instant Pot!

Turkey Noodle Soup - The Recipe Rebel (15)

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Course Soup

Servings 4 servings

Calories 287cal

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 2 large carrots peeled and diced
  • 1 rib celery sliced
  • ½ medium onion finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 cups turkey stock (see post for how to make from scratch)
  • 2 cups uncooked pasta
  • 2 cups cooked chopped turkey

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Add oil to a 4-quart Dutch oven or soup pot and heat over medium-high heat.

  • Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes.

  • Add salt, parsley, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper and cook for 1 minute.

  • Add turkey stock and bring to a low boil on medium-high heat.

  • Stir in pasta and turkey. Cover and let cook for 8-10 minutes, just until al dente (cook time will depend on the type and shape of pasta used).

  • Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve.

Notes

No leftover turkey? Start with a boneless turkey breast or uncooked chicken breasts:

  1. Add one boneless turkey breast (or 2 chicken breasts) to the broth and cook.
  2. Remove when the soup is cooked, shred, and stir back in.

Turkey Noodle Soup in the Instant Pot

  1. Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot and stir.
  2. Put the lid on, select pressure cook or manual, high, and set the cook time for 3 minutes.
  3. It will take about 15 minutes to come under pressure and begin counting down.
  4. Once the cooking time is over, let the pressure release naturally for 7-10 minutes, then gradually open the valve to release the remaining pressure, and serve.

Slow Cooker Turkey Noodle Soup

  1. Place turkey stock, turkey, onion, carrots, celery, salt, parsley, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and pepper in a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
  2. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours, or until carrots are tender.
  3. Turn the slow cooker to high and stir in the pasta.
  4. Cover and let cook on high for 10-20 minutes, just until al dente (this cooking time will depend on the type and shape of pasta used), and serve.

Storage

Store:Store turkey noodle soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge.

Freeze:One of my favorite things about soup is how well it freezes for later use. Once the soup has fully cooled, store it in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 287cal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 1007mg | Potassium: 570mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5170IU | Vitamin C: 3.6mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Keywords leftover turkey, turkey soup

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Turkey Noodle Soup - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

FAQs

How to make bland turkey soup taste better? ›

Add acidic ingredients.

Foods that have a great deal of acidity, like lemon juice, vinegar, white wine, and tomato puree, can help liven up the flavor of bland-tasting bone and other broths. "The acidity of these ingredients works to complement and enhance the broth's flavors, not mask it.

How to add depth of flavor to soup? ›

Garlic and roasted onions add depth. Simmering mushrooms down concentrates flavors for mushroom soup. Simmering most vegetables down also adds more concentrated flavors and reduces the water in them. Herbs, salt and pepper also help.

How to make turkey soup with Jamie Oliver? ›

Season and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Tear the mushrooms and shred or slice the turkey, then add to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes, then add fish sauce and lime juice to taste. The finished soup should be sour, salty and hot so add another bruised chilli or two, if needed.

What to add to soup for flavor? ›

Dried herbs and seasonings: homemade seasoned salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and dried bay leaves lend flavor to the soup. Stock: I much prefer chicken stock over vegetable stock in terms of flavor, though if you want to keep this soup vegetarian, feel free to use vegetable broth or stock instead.

How do you thicken turkey soup broth? ›

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

What can I add to reduce bitterness in soup? ›

Add sweet vegetables like carrots and beets. They will sweeten the broth and deepen its color. You might also add a bit of miso (or salt) and/or a squeeze of lemon juice. Sweet, salt and acid balance bitter flavors.

What is the most important ingredient in soup? ›

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

What makes homemade soup taste better? ›

7 Easy Ways to Make Any Soup Better
  1. Brown or Sear the Meat. ...
  2. Roast the the Veggies. ...
  3. Mix up the Texture. ...
  4. Use Homemade Stock Whenever Possible. ...
  5. Put Your Cheese Rinds to Work. ...
  6. Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples. ...
  7. Add Fresh Herbs or Dairy When Serving.

What spices are good in soup? ›

To season it, we recommend starting with our Vegetable Soup Mix. It contains celery salt, parsley flakes, garlic powder, sea salt, summer savory, marjoram, thyme, black pepper, turmeric and sage, which are all excellent with root vegetables, so you can incorporate things like carrots or potatoes into the soup.

Why does my turkey soup taste sour? ›

A lot of types of bacteria (and sometimes other microbes) produce waste products that can taste "sour." And soup/stock is a good growth medium for microbes, which is why most food safety organizations recommend only keeping soup for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Why does my turkey soup taste greasy? ›

It happens. One common error is letting soup boil, not simmer. With boiling, any fat rendered by the meat or bones will be churned back into the broth instead of floating to the top where it can be skimmed off. Broth that has been boiled turns cloudy and has a greasy taste and feel.

What is the gelatinous stock in turkey soup? ›

It will liquefy again when you heat it up, so don't worry! Gelling simply refers to the way the broth congeals when you cool it in the fridge. Really good bone broth is gelatinous (and jiggly). Your broth is still nutritious, even if it doesn't gel.

Why does my homemade soup taste bland? ›

If your broth tastes thin and bland, you may want to cook and let it evaporate for longer. That helps concentrate its flavors and gives you a better-tasting soup broth. Be sure to remove the lid to let the steam escape.

What can I add to soup to make it rich? ›

Add Cream: Let's get the obvious one out of the way.

Whether you use a few tablespoons or a few cups, cream gives soup a silky mouthfeel and rich flavor. You can definitely add milk or other dairy as well, though it will taste gradually less creamy as you go down in percent.

Why put lemon juice in chicken soup? ›

Lemons are a chicken soup game changer. Why? They brighten up and balance the salty, rich flavors of the dish, and make all of the ingredients come into line. Like a vinaigrette on a salad, the pickle on a burger, and the sour cream in a coffee cake, a squeeze of lemon gives chicken soup a game-changing brightness.

How do you spice up a bland turkey? ›

There are two main ways you can season a turkey.
  1. Dry brine: Combine salt, pepper, dried herbs, and spices and rub the mixture under the turkey skin, inside the cavity, and then over the skin. ...
  2. Compound better: Combine butter, salt, pepper, fresh chopped herbs, citrus zest, and other flavorings.
Nov 3, 2023

How do you make turkey not taste bland? ›

Under-seasoning is one of the biggest mistakes people make with ground turkey. You'll find the meat bland and flavorless if you don't add a hefty serving of dried herbs and spices, as well as the unforgettable salt-and-pepper combo.

How do you season a bland turkey? ›

Add flavor to a bland turkey.

Sprinkle all over with sea salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. And be sure to properly season the gravy.

Why is my turkey stock bland? ›

A good stock isn't done until it's been strained, seasoned and cooled. Skimping on any of these steps can leave you with stock that's murky, bland or stale-tasting. To strain, pour the stock into a colander lined with at least two layers of cheesecloth.

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