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Easy Turkey Soup Recipe

by Stephanie

Easy Turkey Soup Recipe

Let me guess.

You got really excited to host Christmas dinner this year and you bought a gigantic turkey to feed the crowd…

…and now you have tons of leftover turkey.

Did I get that right?

This happens a lot over the holidays. Our eyes are way bigger than our stomachs and we have a lot of leftover turkey!

I’ll tell you a secret: I’m not a huge turkey fan. My holiday dinner love is mashed potatoes so I usually have a lot of those on my plate – oh and I love gravy!

But turkey? Meh. I definitely go for the dark meat when I have the choice.

Ok so you have a lot of leftover turkey so here is what you do:

  • Tell everyone to bring take out containers so they can bring some home
  • Make turkey sandwiches for a week straight until it’s all gone, OR
  • Make a big batch of this delicious turkey soup recipe!

This is the easiest soup recipe you could make and you can change it up based on the protein and other veggies you have.

I just happen to be using turkey here, but you can most definitely substitute leftover chicken or white beans or chickpeas for a vegetarian option. It’s also a great recipe to use up any leftover bits and bites of food you have in the fridge so it doesn’t go to waste.

Find the Easy Turkey Soup Recipe below and check out the end of the post to see variations of this that would be delicious!

bowl of turkey soup
Print Recipe

Easy Turkey Soup Recipe

Use this recipe to use up any leftover turkey you have from the holidays!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Course: Soup
Keyword: easy soup, easyrecipes, fallsoup, soup
Servings: 4 people

Equipment

  • Medium/Large Soup Pot
  • Knife + Cutting Board
  • Spoon/Ladle for stirring

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil Avocado oil would work well here too
  • 2-3 Carrots Diced
  • 2-3 Celery Stalks Diced
  • 1 Onion Diced
  • 1 cup Swiss Chard, Kale or other Greens Optional
  • 1/4 cup Fresh Oregano or 1 tbsp dried
  • 6-8 cups Turkey Stock, Veggie Stock, Water or Chicken Stock  I used Turkey Bone Broth
  • 1-2 cups Turkey (mix of dark and white is nice!) shredded or diced
  • 1 cup Rice cooked
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat up a big soup pot and add the olive oil
  • Add the carrots, celery and onion and sauté for about 7 minutes or so
  • Add the oregano and turkey to the pot and cook for another 3 minutes or so
  • Add the stock and bring to a boil, then bring it down to a simmer
  • Cook until the veggies are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
  • Add the rice and greens and stir again until the greens are wilted
  • Taste to adjust the seasoning.

Recipe Variations

There are so many ways to change up this soup to make it work for you and your family! Here are some ideas:

  • Use cilantro or parsley to replace the oregano in the recipe. Cilantro and turkey are a match made in heaven!
  • Use leftover quinoa or wild rice to replace the regular rice. Small cut pasta like macaroni or ditalini would be a great fit as well.
  • Skip the turkey and use chickpeas or navy beans for a vegetarian/vegan option.
  • Add garlic and a tsp of ginger for a flavour punch.

Keep this recipe in your back pocket for the season because it truly is a keeper since it can be changed up with many ingredients you likely have in the fridge and cupboard.

When you make it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram at @lealoucooks


P.S.: Follow me on Instagram to get weekly tips and tricks!
P.P.S. Get more recipe ideas here.

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: food, recipes, soup

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Follow me on Instagram • @lealoulemonade

On Mother’s Day weekend, we hosted my family for On Mother’s Day weekend, we hosted my family for brunch. I bought a few quiches to eat for brunch mixed with bacon, croissants, and fruit.⁠
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No need to make everything from scratch friends!⁠
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According to the quiche reheat instructions, the internal temperature was to be 165° so after I baked it for about 18 minutes I checked the temp with my digital meat thermometre.⁠
⁠
My mom’s husband looked over at me and said to her: “Look honey, she uses a thermometre too!” My mom laughed and said that her husband uses one for everything and uses a timer for all of his cooking.⁠
⁠
When we were growing up my mom simply smelled and looked at the food to tell if it was done. ⁠
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“Mom, how do you know the turkey’s done?"⁠
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“Oh, I just know.”⁠
⁠
My mom would smell it first in the kitchen and then she would peek at the food in the oven and decide it was done by how it looked.⁠
⁠
It’s interesting how those experiences help us to establish what we do in our own kitchens when we start to cook for ourselves.⁠
⁠
I use a thermometre and timer for many things, but I still use the smell and look method to help me decide if it’s done.⁠
⁠
A balance of both of these approaches while cooking is important.⁠
⁠
If you’re new to cooking, you might simply use a timer for a recipe, but once the timer is done, it might not be cooked all the way through. ⁠
⁠
A more experienced cook would observe that the dish is not quite browned enough and that it needs more time in the oven.⁠
⁠
Every oven has a different temperature, so it’s important to balance that with the time. This is why I find using a thermometre really helpful. It can also prevent overcooking and drying out the food.⁠
⁠
Chicken is notoriously overcooked because people are afraid to undercook it. ⁠
⁠
A thermometre will tell you exactly when the chicken is finished at 165°. It stays somewhat moist and juicy at that temperature.⁠
⁠
If you wait until it’s browned on the outside, it might be too dry to eat. Alternatively, just using a timer could result in either a dry or under-cooked chicken breast.⁠
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I made this nifty graphic you can keep handy the next time you’re cooking. Use it to cook moist meat, not dry!⁠
⁠
xo
Happy Friday 13th!⁠ ⁠ Do you find eating salad Happy Friday 13th!⁠
⁠
Do you find eating salads scary??? 😱⁠
⁠
According to my highly unscientific research, there are two types of people who don’t like to eat salad:⁠
⁠
1️⃣Those who think eating salad is boring.⁠
2️⃣Those who think that salad isn’t filling enough to be a full meal.⁠
⁠
Ok, one more… those who don’t like eating vegetables!⁠
⁠
If you fall into one of the first two categories, I’m here to tell you that maybe… just maybe… you’ve been making salads wrong.⁠
⁠
I know... People don’t like to be told that what they’ve been doing is wrong (I don’t like to be told that either) but I can guarantee you that salads can be fun and filling and it’s all in how we put them together.⁠
⁠
On the blog, I have all the tips on how to make the perfect salad just for you: ⁠
⁠
>>https://lealoucooks.com/howtobuildasalad/⁠
>>or get the link in my profile here: @lealoucooks
I love the idea of looking into the cupboard and c I love the idea of looking into the cupboard and creating something from what seems like nothing.⁠
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I do this to use up the food I have before bringing more food into the house.⁠
⁠
I'm not sure about you, but when I don't use up the food I have, it gets pushed to the back of the fridge and then lands right into the compost bin. ⁠
⁠
This is one of the ways groceries can get expensive.⁠
⁠
So before you make your next grocery list, look in the cupboards and fridge first. What do you have in there that can be used up?⁠
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Then search for a recipe that uses those ingredients.⁠
⁠
Shop your kitchen first, then make a list.⁠
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If you have food in your house you're not sure what to do with, comment below and I'll think of what to make with it!⁠
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#mealplanning #mealplanningtips #mealhelp #dinnertime #supper #eatleftovers #fridgefood #recipes #savemoney #foodwaste⁠
This weekend is a bit of a doozy - a fun doozy!!⁠
⁠
💛My street is hosting a giant street sale (if you're in Etobicoke you can DM me for the address).⁠
💛It's my anniversary (14 years!)⁠
💛AND it's Mother's Day (on the same day as my anniversary! Sorry hunny).⁠
⁠
I'm hosting my sisters and mom for a brunch and I asked them what their most favourite brunch meal is to eat... I'll make the menu a combination of everything for them!⁠
⁠
My sister asked me the question back and I, of course, thought of eggs.🥚⁠
⁠
(Why are all of my posts about eggs??)⁠
⁠
This photo is of a breakfast I had last week and it was so good!⁠
⁠
💛Sourdough GF bread from @thebreadessentials⁠
💛Topped with hummus⁠
💛Topped with a yellow heirloom tomato (fun!)⁠
💛Topped with eggs (duh)⁠
💛Topped with jalapeno sheep cheese from @blythfarmcheese⁠
💛Topped with Broccoli sprouts from @livingearthtoronto⁠
⁠
That brekky was a favourite hands-down.⁠
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Eat what you love friends! 🌱⁠

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About Stephanie

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Hey! I'm Stephanie. I'm a Writer, Culinary Nutrition Expert and Cooking Instructor helping families cook nourishing meals. Read more about me {here}.

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