Leftover Turkey and Vegetable Soup with Bacon
This leftover turkey vegetable soup recipe is bursting with flavor. It uses many of the same autumnal flavors you enjoyed on Thanksgiving, but put together in a new way.
After Thanksgiving, I can only enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers for a day. After that, I crave a completely new flavor. Enter this leftover turkey soup.
How To Make Turkey Soup From Scratch
A truly great turkey vegetable soup relies on two key components: the turkey and the vegetables. Both need to be cooked correctly to achieve fantastic soup.
In this recipe, cremini mushrooms are browned in rendered bacon fat. This adds a heartier, “meatier” flavor to the turkey soup. Then, carrots, onions, celery, and other vegetables are added, filling the soup with autumnal flavors.
After the vegetables are cooked, the browned bits from the bottom of the pan (called fond) are lifted with white wine, keeping the soup’s flavor bright and vibrant.
To make this turkey soup recipe stand out, fresh rosemary and tarragon are used, lending a wonderful aroma to the soup, while half and half added at the end provides a creamy texture.
How To Get Meat off the Turkey Carcass
After cooking the turkey, removing the meat from the bones can be challenging, especially as it cools down. To help extract the leftover turkey meat, you need to cook the carcass further. You can either use a slow cooker or boil it.
I recommend boiling for this recipe because the carcass adds extra flavor to the broth and helps separate the meat.
To remove the meat:
- Place the turkey carcass in a large pot and cover with at least an inch of chicken stock (water can also be used, but this will make chicken broth).
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over medium heat. Add in a bay leaf. Simmer for at least one hour or until the bones start to separate.
- Once the carcass has broken down, turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the turkey meat, separating the bones from the meat. Reserve the liquid for the soup.
Ways to Use Other Leftovers
If you have side dish leftovers, feel free to incorporate them into your turkey vegetable soup. Just remember, doing so may change cooking times, so add them at the appropriate point in the soup-making process.
Want to use up mashed potatoes? This is a great time-saver! Substituting 2 ½ cups of mashed potatoes for an extra ½ cup of chicken stock will create a creamy, chowder-like texture.
Got some extra gravy? Substitute it for chicken broth in equal amounts to enhance the flavor without extending cooking time. Since gravy is already thick, ensure there’s plenty of liquid to cook the potatoes, adding more chicken broth as needed.
As for extra veggies, if their flavors will complement the soup, add them—but keep it towards the end of cooking to avoid them becoming mushy. Good options include parsnips, green beans, or butternut squash.
Professional Recipe Tips
- Thick-cut bacon works best in soups. Even after simmering, it retains its texture and does not dissolve completely into the soup.
- To achieve the best flavor from cremini mushrooms, avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook them in a single layer until golden brown, allowing them to shrink during cooking.
- If you deplete the bacon fat while cooking the mushrooms, you can supplement with a little olive oil.
- For a gluten-free version, simply swap the all-purpose flour with tapioca flour.
Leftover Turkey Vegetable Soup Recipe
This leftover turkey vegetable soup is incredibly delicious but requires attention to detail since the flavors need time to meld together. Yes, it takes effort, but it’s well worth it after spending so long preparing Thanksgiving dinner.
Simplify your grocery shopping with this printable grocery list for the leftover turkey vegetable soup recipe. Everything is listed by standard grocery store amounts. If no size is specified, even the small package will be more than enough.
Happy cooking! 🙂
