Turkey Vegetable Soup - PERFECT for Holiday Leftovers! 😋

Here's a recipe for using up those holiday leftovers!

After Thanksgiving and Christmas every year, I make a big pot of turkey soup! This is a beloved tradition in our family, as we all love turkey soup. This recipe makes plenty so you will have leftovers for easy meals.

My turkey soup starts with using the leftover turkey carcass to make easy bone broth in the slow cooker. Turkey broth is rich and flavorful, in comparison to chicken broth.

Once the broth is ready to use, I cook up some fresh onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Then I add the broth and season it with bay leaf, dried parsley, and dried basil. Then potatoes are added, followed by the chopped leftover turkey, green onions, and frozen peas. This soup is great with cheesy bread or Einkorn drop biscuits (recipe coming soon).

I hope you enjoy this recipe after your holidays, too!

Turkey Vegetable Soup

Serves 12-13

Start by making turkey bone broth! I use this recipe for easy slow cooker bone broth made with the turkey carcass. Once the broth has cooked overnight, you can make the turkey soup!

Slow Cooker Bone Broth

Soup Ingredients

• 5 Tb butter, preferably the nutrient-dense yellow kind (or skim some of the fat off the turkey broth to use)

• 2 large white or yellow onions, diced

• 6 stalks celery, diced

• 10 large carrots, peeled and diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 6 cups turkey bone broth, preferably homemade

• 4 cups filtered water (or use more broth using storebought broth, which is less concentrated)

• ~3 Tb salt (or less if your broth is salted)

• 3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

• 1 bay leaf

• 1&1/2 Tb dried basil

• 1&1/2 Tb dried parsley

• 4 Yukon gold potatoes, diced

• 6 cups diced leftover turkey

• 6 green onions, minced and separated into white and green parts

• 1 cup frozen peas

1. Dice the onions. I always use my favorite Wusthof knife for chopping soup veggies.

2. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter (or turkey fat). Add the onions and a little sprinkle of salt. Saute for 5 minutes over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. A bamboo spatula works this soup.

3. Meanwhile, dice the celery. Add it to the pot and saute for 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, peel and dice the carrots. (I love my Rada vegetable peeler!) Add the carrots to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute another 8 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, mince the garlic. Once the carrots have cooked ~8 minutes, add the garlic to the pot and saute just until fragrant, ~30-60 seconds.

6. Add the broth, water, salt, pepper, and bay leaf to the pot. Bring it all to a low simmer.

7. Skim off and discard any foam that rises to the top of the broth.  Then add the dried basil and parsley.

8. Meanwhile, dice the potatoes. I leave the potato skin on for extra nutrition.

9. Once the broth is simmering, carefully taste it and add more salt if needed.

10. Add the diced potatoes to the pot, stirring occasionally.

11. While the potatoes cook for 10-15 minutes, dice the green onions, keeping the white and green parts separated. Also dice the leftover turkey meat.

12. Once the potatoes are almost done, add the whites of the green onions to the pot. Cook for a few minutes.

13. Then add the turkey, onion greens, and frozen peas to the pot. These do not need to cook long, but just enough to get hot.

14. Taste the broth and adjust the salt/pepper as desired.

15. Serve and enjoy! If desired, serve this soup alongside grain-free cheesy bread or Einkorn drop biscuits (recipe coming soon).

What are your favorite ways to use your holiday leftovers?

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