Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup
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This Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup is my favorite way to use leftover roast turkey and holiday vegetables. It's a warm and delicious pot of turkey soup and an excellent way to clean out your refrigerator!
If you love leftover soup, try this Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Soup too.
Recipe Overview
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Total Time: 30-35 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Best For: Thanksgiving leftovers, easy weeknight dinners, cold evenings
- Key Ingredient: leftover roasted turkey + vegetables + noodles
What I Love About This Soup
There's something special about a pot of homemade turkey soup simmering after Thanksgiving. It feels restorative and grounding - a simple, wholesome meal that brings balance back to the table.
I love that this recipe is endlessly flexible; you can use whatever vegetables are in your crisper, any pasta shape, and even stretch it with extra broth or even water. Nothing fancy, just the kind of cooking you want to do after a big feast.
And if you happened to make homemade turkey stock after the holiday (which I highly recommend!), this is the perfect place to use it.
Key Ingredients & Notes
- Olive oil or butter - For sautéing the vegetables; butter adds richness.
- Onion, celery, and carrots - The classic soup trio for depth and flavor.
- Garlic - Adds warmth and aroma.
- Leftover cooked turkey - Light or dark meat, shredded or diced.
- Turkey stock or chicken broth - Homemade stock from the holiday bird takes this to another level.
- Egg noodles - Wide, homestyle noodles work best, but any noodle is fine.
- Fresh herbs - Parsley or thyme brighten the finished soup.
- Salt and pepper - Season generously; stock varies in saltiness.
How to Make Turkey Noodle Soup
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat oil or butter in a large soup pot. Add the onion, celery, and carrots; cook until softened. Stir in the garlic.
- Add broth and turkey. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in the leftover turkey.
- Add noodles. Add egg noodles directly to the pot and simmer until tender.
- Season and finish. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper. Stir in fresh herbs before serving.
- Serve warm. Ladle into bowls and enjoy immediately, while the noodles are perfectly tender.
Top Tips
- Cook noodles in the soup only until just tender - they'll continue to soften.
- If using homemade stock, skim excess fat for a clearer broth.
- Add herbs at the end for the freshest flavor.
- If reheating leftovers, add extra broth; noodles absorb liquid over time.
Variations
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free noodles or rice.
- Add greens: Stir in baby spinach or chopped kale during the last minute of cooking.
- Make it heartier: Add diced potatoes or white beans.
- Add a squeeze of lemon: For brightness and a touch of freshness.
- Make it creamy: Stir in a splash of cream or half-and-half, or see this creamy turkey wild rice soup for another delicious leftover turkey soup.
- Use rice instead of noodles: Add ½ cup uncooked rice and simmer until tender.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with warm dinner rolls
- Pair with a simple green salad
- Add a side of cranberry sauce from the holiday table
- Great for thermoses or lunchboxes, the week after Thanksgiving
- Freezes well before adding noodles (see tips below)
Recipe FAQs
Yes - but for the best texture, cook the noodles right before serving. If making ahead, prepare the soup without noodles and refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat and add noodles just before serving.
Absolutely, but freeze it without the noodles (they become mushy). When reheating the soup, cook the noodles in the soup.
Yes! This easily becomes an excellent classic chicken noodle soup, especially when you have leftover vegetables from the week.
No - store-bought chicken or turkey broth is perfect. Homemade stock will give it deeper flavor, though, especially if you've simmered down your Thanksgiving turkey bones.
Yes! Most vegetables work well in soup. Try adding mushrooms, zucchini, kale, butternut squash, or peas!
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Turkey Vegetable Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 8-10 cups broth turkey, chicken, vegetable
- 1 potato peeled and diced
- ½ cup frozen corn
- ½ cup green beans cut
- ½ cup zucchini diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ cup leftover stuffing optional
- 8- ounces dried wide noodles
- 2 cups turkey cooked and shredded into bite-size pieces
- kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add onion, carrots, and celery and saute until tender. Then add the garlic and stock; bring soup to a boil.
- Once the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and add the potatoes, corn, green beans, zucchini, bay leaf, thyme, marjoram, stuffed if desired, and noodles.
- Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the noodles are cooked; about 15 minutes. Add the cooked turkey and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to simmer until turkey is heated through.
Notes
- Stock: You can make this with homemade turkey stock or, for a deeper flavor, use ready-made chicken broth or stock.
- Vegetables: Add any additional vegetables or greens you have on hand.
- Make Ahead: For make-ahead storage, prepare the soup without noodles and add them when reheating. You may need to add additional broth.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I'm going to make this soup today, but with left-over chicken. The recipe looks delicious! Is the stuffing added as a thickener? I have some Stove Top stuffing I could use. Thanks for all the great recipes!!
I love this soup— I’m so glad you’re trying it. A bit different but the flavors are delicious, much of it from the seasoned stuffing. And yea, it does thicken the soup a little. Thank you in advance for trying it 😍
So good!
Soup looks delicious I’m gong to make this I’m allergic to so many meats -gluten and soy,I have to have organic or grass fed meats. Also eggs have to be organic or cage free but I’m planning on making this soup I love soups in cold weather I live inColorado Springs, Colorado. Thx Happy Thanksgiving to all. Cindy from Colorado
Happy Thanksgiving to you too Cindy! Hope you like it as much as we do. So perfect for customizing for health requirements - and I agree — I love soups in cold weather too. You live in a beautiful part of the country to enjoy winter!