Creamy Leftover Turkey Soup
Another Thanksgiving went by and we survived! Everything went well without any major disasters ! Now, we have to deal 🤦♀️ with all the leftover sides including that big pile of turkey meat sitting in the fridge. As much as we all enjoy it, nobody wants to eat it as is for the next 5 days.
I don’t mind the pile because I repurpose it to make 👩🍳 other tasty recipes like Turkey Tetrazzini, Turkey Croquettes, Turkey Zucchini Boats, Brunswick Stew, Turkey Pasta Casserole, Turkey Chili Tex-Mex Style, Turkey à la King on Toast, and more…
One that I like making is my Creamy Leftover Turkey Soup! Besides my Turkey Noodle Soup, this is another dish that is so comforting! It’s a lovely recipe to make with vegetables, spices, and potatoes along with the star 🦃 of the recipe. It’s simple and yet so tasty!
Who doesn’t like a nice bowl of hot soup during the colder months of the year! It can be enjoyed as an appetizer, for lunch, or as a light meal with crusty bread. Although turkey is the protein, nothing is stopping you from using chicken 🐓 instead.
This Creamy Leftover Turkey Soup is an easy recipe…
Mirepoix, which consists of onion, carrot 🥕 and celery, is sautéed in butter and oil for 10 minutes on medium heat… not on high. Technically, to get the most out of the flavor, the vegetables should be cooked on low heat so they have time to “sweat”, resulting in a deeper and more concentrated taste.
When the veggies are mostly tender, more butter 🧈 is added and then I use a French technique called the “Singer Method”. Instead of making a roux first and then add our vegetables, the flour is sprinkled directly on top of them that have been cooked in fat. It’s basically creating a light roux.
After reducing the heat to medium-low and stirring constantly for 2:30 to 3 minutes to cook the flour and remove its raw taste, garlic 🧄 and seasonings go in, sautéed for 30 seconds and then the broth. It’s very important that your mise en place is done prior to this crucial step.
Before the chicken broth is poured into the mixture, I call this step the “Danger Zone”. If your heat is too high or you’re not stirring constantly, the ingredients might burn 🔥 so it’s super important to follow the directions to a “T”.
When the “Singer Method” and the “Danger Zone” are done, the rest is easy peasy… well, except one little, tiny step!
After the potatoes 🥔 are cooked, I like tempering my heavy cream as it can be finicky. When added to a hot mixture, it can separate and curdle so to prevent this from happening, we simply add a few ladles of the hot broth and whisk it in before incorporating it into the soup.
From here, the turkey meat is added along with frozen peas and simmered for 5 minutes. One important thing I kept repeating is to make sure to taste your food! It might need a little salt, pepper, etc. Just before serving, some fresh chopped parsley is sprinkled on. This herb is super good 💚 for us!
Velvety, delish and well-seasoned, this Creamy Leftover Turkey Soup is loaded with deliciousness 😋! It’s a great way to use up your leftover meat. Don’t get overwhelmed with that pile sitting in your fridge and make this recipe soon…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
Check out these other great comforting soup recipes… 😀
– Cauliflower Cheese Soup
– Scallops and Roasted Chestnut Soup
– Hot & Sour Soup
– Bay Scallop Chowder
– Lasagna Soup
– Creamy Tomato Basil & Parmesan Soup
– French Onion Soup Gratinée
– Kartoffelsuppe • German Potato Soup
– Corn Chowder
and for even more soup recipes 🥣, click on this link… Recipe Category • Soups & Chowders
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So comforting and delicious, this satisfying Creamy Leftover Turkey Soup recipe is a great way to enjoy your turkey leftovers…
Hover to scale
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. butter, divided
- 1 tbsp. olive oil tips & tricks
- 1 1/2 cups yellow onions, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced tips & tricks
- 1/2 cup red peppers, diced
- 4 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 tsp dried basil leaves
- 1 tsp. dried thym leaves
- 1 tsp. dried rosemary, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 cup 35% heavy cream, room temperature
- 4 to 4 1/4 cups leftover cooked turkey, cut into small pieces see Recipe
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, for garnish tips & tricks
Directions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. butter and oil.
- When sizzling, add onions, carrots, and celery; season with salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Add red peppers and cook for 4 minutes or until the ingredients are mostly tender.
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp. butter and flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir constantly until the ingredients are nicely coated and the flour is cooked, about 3 minutes.
- Add garlic, basil, thyme, rosemary and red pepper flakes; sauté for 30 seconds.
- Stir in broth, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add potatoes and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- In a bowl, add heavy cream and temper it by adding some hot broth. Whisk well before adding more ladles. Set aside until needed.
- When the spuds are done, add cooked turkey meat, frozen peas and tempered heavy cream. Mix well and increase the heat to medium-high.
- Reduce back to medium and let it simmer gently for 5 minutes or until the peas are cooked and the meat is heated through; taste and adjust if needed.
- Before serving, sprinkle on some fresh chopped parsley.
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We had our Thanksgiving on Saturday and by Monday, we had enough of the leftovers. I made this soup and it was incredibly delicious. Any other suggestions for leftover turkey? Thanks, hon!
I was once again the hostess for Thansgiving and you got that right… there’s a pile of meat in my fridge. Great idea and it looks amazing! Thank chef
Thank you and you’re very welcome, Bee 😉! I have another soup 🥣 recipe you might want to try too. Here’s the link… Turkey Noodle Soup. Have a wonderful day!
I went for the noodle soup instead and it was amazing. I’ll try this creamy one during the Holidays. Have a nice day, chef.
Thank you for sharing, Frankie. I’ll be making it tomorrow.
It’s my pleasure! Enjoy the recipe, Vivien 😀
I made a double batch and just finished it for lunch today. My family loved it! This will become my go-to leftover turkey soup recipe. Thanks again, Frankie 🙂
Love it! Thank you.
You’re welcome, JM 😉. This recipe is a delicious way to use up your leftover turkey meat 🦃. Have a lovely day