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Easy Leftover Turkey Soup

Published: / Updated: / 92 Comments

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This easy leftover turkey soup recipe is fast, simple to make, and healthy. It's loaded with vegetables and has a silky and irresistibly seasoned broth!

You may also like my Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup.

a bowl of leftover turkey soup

Why you'll love it

This easy turkey soup recipe hits the spot on a cold day. The potatoes melt in your mouth and make this soup extra comforting. A splash of cream makes the broth taste even better without going overboard! It's a light but creamy turkey vegetable soup.

This is a low-effort, quick soup that won't feel taxing after making a Thanksgiving feast with Roast Turkey. Here in Canada our Thanksgiving is in October, so being a food blogger, I'm all turkey'd out by the time American Thanksgiving rolls around!

What you'll need

  • Olive oil - for sautéing
  • Onion, garlic, celery, and carrots - the aromatic base to any great soup
  • Potatoes - I use baby potatoes
  • Chicken broth - for more savory depth in the broth
  • Italian seasoning - this delicious blend of dried herbs comes in a single jar
  • Turkey - we're adding already cooked turkey meat near the end so it doesn't further dry out
  • Heavy cream - just a hint of cream gives this soup a special something-something. You could leave it out, but I don't recommend it.
ingredients for leftover turkey soup in prep bowls

Tools for this recipe

Check out Natasha's favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!

  • I use this Le Creuset Dutch oven for this soup.
  • Easily mince garlic with a garlic press. No peeling cloves is required!
  • This Henckels chef's knife makes chopping vegetables a breeze.

How to make leftover turkey soup

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

sautéing onions and adding potatoes and broth to a soup pot

In a soup pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onion until golden. Add in the garlic, and cook until fragrant. Add in the celery, carrots, potatoes, broth, water, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a gentle boil.

adding leftover turkey to a soup pot and mixing in cream

Reduce the heat, partly cover, and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes. Add in the turkey meat, and let it simmer more until the potatoes are cooked through. Stir in the cream and season with salt & pepper as needed.

Substitutions and variations

  • This recipe would work well with cooked chicken as well. It doesn't have to be turkey! Or even leftover turkey breast meat will work.
  • I chose little potatoes, but you can definitely use the same weight of regular-sized potatoes.
  • This is a flexible soup. Throw in whatever veggies you have on hand that need using up.

What to serve with turkey soup

  • This is a hearty and filling soup, so all you need is a slice of some fresh crusty bread to go with it.
  • For a soup and salad combo, try spring mix with my Creamy Balsamic Dressing or this homemade Italian Dressing. No blender is needed for either of them!

Leftovers and storage

  • Store leftover turkey soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
  • Reheat over a slow heat slowly until warmed through, taking care to not dry out the turkey.
  • You can freeze this one for up to 3 months.

More leftover turkey recipes

a pot of leftover turkey soup with a ladle

If you made this leftover turkey soup, please leave a star rating and review below! Ask any questions not answered above. Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram with your creations.

a bowl of leftover turkey soup

Easy Leftover Turkey Soup Recipe

This easy leftover turkey soup recipe is fast, simple to make, and healthy. It's loaded with vegetables and has a silky and irresistibly seasoned broth!
5 from 25 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 263 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 sticks celery chopped
  • 3 large carrots peeled & sliced
  • 1.5 pounds baby potatoes cut into halves
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups cooked turkey meat or more, to taste
  • 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until it's lightly browned (5-7 minutes).
  • Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, broth, water, and Italian seasoning. Increase the heat to high and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pot with the lid slightly open. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Add the turkey meat and allow the soup to simmer for another 10 minutes or so. 
  • Stir in the cream and season with salt & pepper to taste. 

Notes

  • You don't need to use baby potatoes... regular ones are fine as long as the weight is similar. I just find them easy. 
  • I used 2 cups cooked turkey, but you could definitely add a lot more if you need to!
  • Serves 4-6.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
     

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 15gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 699mgPotassium: 842mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 6448IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 2mg
Keyword creamy leftover turkey soup, easy leftover turkey soup
Author Natasha Bull

This recipe was originally published on November 13, 2017. It's been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!

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    • Natasha says

      I don't think this one is too big of a deal... it's not like Alfredo sauce, for example, but if you feel more comfortable when adding it after thawing, that would be fine too. 🙂

      Reply

  2. Pat C says

    5 stars
    I added portobello mushrooms. Used Mediterranean oregano instead of Italian seasoning. Used about 1/3 of potatoes, added bok choy chopped with Turkey. Only added 1 cup water. Absolutely delicious flavor. There was a bit of bacon wrapped Turkey in fridge that I threw into onions to get that flavor helped too

    Reply

  4. Gloria says

    5 stars
    Thanks so much! Delish! I left out the celery and added noodles. Next time I’m going to try adding some shredded Parmesan cheese to thicken it up and add some extra flavor!

    Reply

  6. Alyssa says

    5 stars
    Day after thanksgiving leftover recipe win!! So I made this recipe today and ir was awesome. However, I did change a little something about it. Instead of using cream I whisked in leftover mashed potatoes and it was amazing! Will be making this again!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      There's a chance half-and-half or something with a lower fat content will curdle... so heavy (or whipping cream) is probably your best bet unless you want to do a little experimenting.

      Reply

  11. Morgan S. says

    5 stars
    Yummy recipe, I make it ahead of time and freeze it and leave our the cream and add it in when I’m heating it up for dinner later when I need a good soup for a cold day. You can do that with any soup which requires milk, sour cream etc.

    Reply

  12. Jennifer Allen says

    5 stars
    I’ve made this several times now. Had to make my own Italian seasoning which was fine. Oregano, thyme, parsley, garlic powder, basil and pepper. Very tasty. I used chicken this time and it’s amazing. I will always make my “turkey soup” this way from now on. Thank you!

    Reply

  13. Jill says

    5 stars
    Great recipe. I used some small russet potatoes I had left over from Thanksgiving. I also used unsweetened coconut milk less calories and we don’t do much diary. I added some dried sage, basil, and red pepper flakes. Very yummy soup

    Reply

  14. Krystal says

    5 stars
    I made this recipe last year, wanting to just try something different.....OMG it was absolutely amazing and my picky daughters, and their best friend have raves about it all year waiting for the day when I would make it again. I’m so glad I found the recipe so thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      That's great!! I'm so glad to hear that. 🙂 You're very welcome. I hope your daughters and their friend enjoy it this year too!

      Reply

  18. Jenny L. says

    5 stars
    So easy and delicious! I used frozen carrots, added leftover ham and turkey and used fat free half and half. Plus a bay leaf!
    Thanks for your inspiring recipes 😊

    Reply

  19. Leanne says

    This was so good ! Just enough creaminess. Making another batch with the rest of the leftover turkey
    since my family loved it so!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I haven’t made this in a couple years, but I think any of those would work fine. It’s a pretty forgiving soup. 😊

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Sorry, Teri, I do not. You could try plugging the exact ingredients you use into a calorie calculator like My Fitness Pal. The calculators aren't always super accurate, so I tend not to post nutritional info on my recipes (only calorie counts on a select few recipes where I'm confident I can get it right).

      Reply

  27. Cher says

    5 stars
    Very yummy! Nice to do something without noodles or rice. I did make it with coconut milk as I had no cream, seasoned it with extra veggie seasoning and added a tablespoon of light cream cheese. Also topped with green onion and seasoned croutons! Thank you

    Reply

  28. Bev Whaley says

    5 stars
    Great soup recipe, was soooi yummy!!!! Thanks for sharing, I hate casseroles but love soup!!!! Perfect and probably freezable.

    Reply

  30. Rosemary says

    5 stars
    This was Delicious!! My family and my neighbors gave it rave reviews. Nice change from the usual turkey noodle soup after the holidays. I sautéed the onions and garlic in a Tuscan herb infused olive oil. Thank you so much for this recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Doris! I haven't tried it with almond milk, but if it's something you're comfortable adding to soups (I don't often cook with it), then I don't see why it wouldn't work. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply

  35. Danielle says

    Hi, instead of whipping cream could I use cream of chicken soup or would that change the recipe? (I'm just looking in my cupboard for a substitute).

    Reply

  37. Amanda says

    5 stars
    Trying this today with half and half because that’s all I have in the fridge. Hope it turns out as well as yours looks. Thank you so much for the recipe! Happy Holidays

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Half and half will be delicious, I'm sure. 🙂 Thanks, Amanda. Hope you like the recipe. Happy holidays to you as well.

      Reply