Turkey Noodle Soup is one of my favorite ways to turn leftover turkey into a homemade bowl of comfort everyone in my house loves. If you need an easy way to stretch leftover turkey into a fresh and satisfying meal, this soup will do it every time.
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This post was originally posted on 11/07/2016 updated on 11/27/2020 and again on 11/18/2025.
After years of cooking in restaurant kitchens and feeding my own crew big holiday meals, I can promise this recipe delivers cozy flavor with simple ingredients you probably already have waiting in your fridge after the holidays. It is warm, hearty, and a holiday favorite my family asks for the day after the big turkey dinner.
Why We Love This Turkey Noodle Soup
- A simple way to use leftover turkey so nothing goes to waste.
- A holiday leftover idea that feels new and satisfying, and not the same ole leftovers.
- Warm and comforting with classic homemade flavor.
- Easy to make with pantry staples and veggies you already have on hand.
- Family friendly and always a hit with kids and grown ups.
- Makes great lunches the next day and freezes well for busy weeks.
- Perfect when you want something effortless yet filling, especially after a big cook day!
Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe Ingredients
- Salted Butter
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Leftover Turkey
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- Turkey Broth or Homemade Broth
- Water
- Egg Noodles
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Parsley, for garnish
Substitution Suggestions
- Salted Butter: Feel free to use unsalted butter. Taste the soup before serving to see if it needs more seasoning.
- Olive Oil: Any neutral oil will work. Vegetable oil, avocado oil or canola oil are good options.
- Veggies: Onion, celery and carrots are the base for almost all good soups! You can however, leave one out if you don't like it and add more veggies. You can add mushrooms, frozen peas or green beans, or even leftover roasted veggies.
- Leftover Turkey: No leftover turkey? No problem, use a rotisserie chicken or my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken.
- All Purpose Flour: Whole wheat flour is a great substitute. If you need to keep it gluten free you can use a cornstarch slurry with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water whisked together. Add it while the soup is simmering. Or you can leave the flour out and the soup will be a bit thinner but just as delicious!
- Broth: Ideally you'd want to use turkey broth or homemade broth. If you can't find turkey broth, chicken broth or vegetable broth will work. I use chicken broth when I'm out of homemade. I highly suggest trying homemade broth, it's so good and flavorful!
- Egg Noodles: Any type of noodle will essentially work. Egg noodles are just classic. To keep it gluten free you could add about 3 cups cooked rice (at the end of cooking) or a 1 cup uncooked rice when the soup comes to a boil.
- Seasoning: You can add any herbs or seasonings you like. I keep it simple and classic with just salt and pepper. A bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, or parsley are all great additions that pair well with turkey.
How to Make Leftover Turkey Soup
- First, In a large dutch oven or soup pot, melt butter and oil over medium heat.
- Once butter is melted, add the chopped onions, celery and carrots. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5-6 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and sauté another minute until garlic is really fragrant.
- Stir the chopped leftover turkey into the veggies to warm through.
- Sprinkle the flour, salt and black pepper over the veggies and turkey, stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the broth and water, stirring constantly until fully incorporated.
- Bring the soup to a boil.
- Once boiling, stir in the noodles.
- Reduce heat to low and cook until noodles are al dente.
- Remove soup from heat and garnish with parsley.
How to Make Turkey Broth
Making homemade broth is easier than you think.
- Pull all the extra meat you can off of the turkey carcass and set meat aside.
- Place the carcass in a large pot with a quartered onion, roughly chopped celery stalk and carrot, bay leaf and 2 garlic cloves. If no one likes the neck, add that to the broth too.
- Add enough water just to cover everything, this will be about a gallon or so of water.
- Turn stove to medium-high heat and bring broth to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low and let simmer until the liquid has reduced by almost half. This will take anywhere from 3-4 hours. The longer it simmers the better it is!
- Once reduced, remove from heat. Carefully remove the larger bones and pieces of veggies.
- Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer or a strainer with cheesecloth.
- Pick off any pieces of meat from the bones. Not necessary but uses up every little bit of the turkey!
- Use the broth for this soup, store in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for 3-4 months.
How to Make Homemade Broth in Crock Pot
Alternatively, if you have a big enough crock pot, you can use that and cook it on low for 8 hours or overnight. Works great and the broth is ready in the morning when you wake up!
Serving Turkey Noodle Soup
This soup is hearty enough on it's own but I love having bread and crackers with my soup, especially buttered saltine crackers. They are my favorite! And sometimes a simple green salad is nice too. Sop up any extra broth with these Easy Dinner Rolls, Garlic Parmesan Focaccia or Garlic Cheese Biscuits. You can never go wrong with soup and sandwich, try my Parmesan Crusted Grilled Cheese!
Looking for more ways to use up leftover turkey try some of these other delicious recipes:
- Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
- Turkey Tetrazzini
- Turkey Shepherd's Pie
- Leftover Turkey Pot Pie: this is the best recipe ever because it uses leftover turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing!
Storing Leftover Turkey Soup
Storing: Store cooled leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Let the soup cool completely and then portion into air tight freezer safe containers or zip top bags. Don't forget to label and date! I like to use bags, freeze them flat and then store them upright once frozen. Saves space in my freezer. Soup will last 3-4 months in the freezer.
To thaw soup: Thaw the soup in the fridge overnight. In a pinch you can thaw in the microwave using the defrost button.
Reheating: Reheat the soup on the stove over low heat or in the microwave until warmed through.
Note on Pasta: The pasta is going to absorb the broth. Add more broth when reheating the soup to thin it out. To avoid the absorption, you can cook and store the pasta separately and then add to individual bowls when serving the soup.
Heather's Favorite Tools for this Recipe
- I love using a Dutch Oven for soups and chilis. They heat evenly and they will last forever if taken care of properly.
- A garlic press works great if you want to use fresh garlic and not have to chop it. I use a Pampered Chef one but this garlic press from OXO is a great one too!
- I love this Crock Pot for making the homemade broth.
Tips for Turkey Noodle Soup
- Read the recipe start to finish first and gather all the ingredients before you start cooking. This will help prevent any errors.
- If you prefer a thinner soup, only add half the noodles. If you like more of a thicker soup use 16 oz. of pasta.
- If making ahead, cook the soup and noodles separate. When it is time to enjoy, either add the noodles directly to the pot of warm soup or individual bowls and add turkey soup over.
- If you know there will be a lot of leftovers, you can cook the noodles separate and store separate in the fridge so the noodles don't absorb all the broth and become mushy.
More Soup Recipes with Leftovers:
- Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Easy Ham and Bean Soup
- Classic Chicken Noodle
- Chicken Dumpling Soup
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Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 large celery stalks, diced
- 4 large carrots, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups leftover chopped turkey
- ¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cups turkey broth, or homemade broth
- 2 cups water, or extra broth
- 16 oz egg noodles
- parsley for garnish, dried or fresh
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, heat butter and oil over medium heat.
- Add diced onion, celery and carrots. Sauté for 5-6 minutes and until the onions are translucent.
- Add minced garlic and sauté another minute until garlic is fragrant.
- Add chopped turkey and mix well.
- Sprinkle with flour, salt and black pepper and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
- Slowly add broth and water while stirring.
- Bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, stir in noodles.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer until noodles are cooked to al dente.
- Remove soup from heat and garnish with parsley.
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