This leftover turkey soup is the best way to use up turkey after a thanksgiving feast! Full of immune-boosting ingredients including garlic, ginger, turmeric and bone broth to help you feel your best.
There's nothing more cozy and nourishing than a bowl of soup for lunch of dinner when the weather is cold. Just like our reader favorite thai slow cooker chicken soup, this leftover turkey soup is packed with spices and is so comforting and delicious.
If you've found yourself with a fridge full of leftovers after a big turkey dinner, this leftover turkey soup is for you! This is such a great way to use up those leftovers, especially if you are looking for a lighter meal after the holidays.
Best of all, it comes together really quickly, and you can store any leftovers in the fridge or freezer for easy meal prep lunches and dinners.
Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
- it's full of immune boosting ingredients including ginger, garlic, bone broth and turmeric
- it's the perfect way to use up turkey, and leftover vegetables from a turkey dinner
- it's ready in just 35 minutes, and can be portioned and stored away in the fridge or freezer for meal prep
Ingredient notes
- Fresh ginger - adds warmth and spice! Ginger has immune boosting properties, and aids in digestion.
- Turmeric - adds an earthy, peppery and warming flavor. Turmeric gives this soup it's bright yellow color, and is often used in immune boosting soups and juices due to it's anti-inflammatory properties.
- Onion and garlic - these aromatics provide a ton of flavor, and are the base of just about any nourishing soup recipe!
- Veggies - carrots, celery, and broccoli are delicious in this soup; but you can use up whatever veggies you have in your fridge. Peppers, cauliflower, leeks, kale, these could all work in the soup!
- Turkey bone broth - use homemade turkey stock, bone broth or for a shortcut use store-bought chicken stock.
Step by step directions
1. Sauté - Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 4 quart pot. Add the onion and cook until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Combine - Add the bone broth, carrots, celery, broccoli, turkey, bay leaf, turmeric and sea salt. Stir up, cover, and bring to a boil.
3. Simmer - Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until carrot is soft. Stir in the lemon juice, taste and adjust the salt, and serve.
FAQ
Yes, you absolutely can! If you can't find bone broth, I'd go for a veggie or chicken stock.
You can store it for up to 4 days in the fridge, or freeze for up to 4 months. You could do a double batch and stock up the freezer!
Yes! Swap for whatever you happen to have in the fridge. Peppers, cauliflower, leeks, kale, these could all work in the soup!
Storage & meal prep
- Cool soup completely, then portion out into an air tight container (see below for my favorite containers!)
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days, freeze for up to 6 months.
- Thaw completely.
- Reheat individual portions in the microwave or larger portions in a pot until steaming hot.
TIP - I love using these plastic freezer jars to store soup.
More healthy soup recipes
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Leftover Turkey Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated on the small holes of a box grater
- 6 cups leftover turkey bone broth or regular stock
- 2 carrots peeled & sliced
- 1 celery chopped
- 2-3 cups broccoli florets
- 4 cups leftover turkey chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
After cooking
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Sauté - Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 4 quart pot. Add the onion and cook until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Combine - Add the bone broth, carrots, celery, broccoli, turkey, bay leaf, turmeric and sea salt. Stir up, cover, and bring to a boil. the garlic and ginger, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Simmer - Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until carrot is soft. Stir in the lemon juice, taste and adjust the salt, and serve.
Tips:
- Cool soup completely, then portion out into an air tight container (see below for my favorite containers!)
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days, freeze for up to 6 months.
- Thaw completely.
- Reheat individual portions in the microwave or larger portions in a pot until steaming hot.
Nutrition Information
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Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.
Cathy says
We love this soup so much that we make a turkey at other random times of the year so we can use the leftovers!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Cathy, wow! That's amazing, sounds like you've found an all-time fave! Thanks for leaving a rating and review 🙂
Jessica says
I don’t have 6 cups of bone broth or 4 cups of turkey, can I still make the soup?
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Jessica, absolutely - feel free to substiute store-bought chicken stock, turkey stock or bone broth if you do not want to make it homemade. Or, you can check out our recipe for how to make turkey stock here. I hope this helps, and enjoy!
Rachel P says
This was great when we all got sick a few days after Easter and needed to use up our turkey! Added 1/2 cup of rice and it was so great!!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Rachel! I'm sorry to hear you got sick after Easter, but glad to hear this recipe came in handy. Thanks so much for reporting back!
Rhonda @ Change In Seconds says
Making the recipe this weekend!
Denise says
I hope you enjoy!