This Turkey Carcass Soup is a super easy dinner recipe and is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey! I like to make the broth ahead and store it in the refrigerator for an easy and filling meal idea that works any night of the week — even a busy one!
You will not believe the amount of flavor that the carcass adds to this leftover turkey soup. I add celery, carrots, and onion to infuse flavor into the stock and then more veggies to the soup itself! The cooked rice and turkey meat add great texture as well. It’s a delicious and unique twist on classic chicken noodle soup.
If you like leftover turkey recipes, you will love our list of Leftover Turkey Dinner Muffins, Leftover Thanksgiving Stuffing Patties, Leftover Stuffing Burgers, Turkey and Stuffing Casserole (Crock Pot), or our delicious Turkey Gravy Without Drippings .
Why You Will Love This Turkey Carcass Soup Recipe
- Great use of leftovers: Reduce waste and utilize the turkey carcass to make a yummy Thanksgiving leftover soup.
- Budget-friendly: The components of the stock and turkey bone soup are very inexpensive, so it’s a great meal to make on a tight budget after Thanksgiving.
- Weeknight favorite: I love making this for dinner on a busy weeknight!
Ingredients
Below you will find everything you need to make the homemade stock as well as the turkey soup recipe with the carcass. This soup consists of everyday ingredients and aromatic spices to make it extra delicious!
For the stock
- Turkey carcass: Clean up the carcass by removing any skin or meat left on the bones (keep the turkey meat for later).
- Veggies: I use onions, carrots, and celery to infuse flavor into the stock. There’s no need to dice these ingredients for this recipe. I just cut them into quarters and add them to the water.
- Spices: The seasonings are simple for this leftover turkey soup recipe. I add salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, and parsley. Feel free to use fresh or dried parsley — both will work great.
- Water: This is an important ingredient because this is what you will add all of the other ingredients to. The turkey, veggies, and spices will cook down in the water and add flavor to create a turkey stock.
For the soup
- Butter: I like to use butter to soften the veggies. It adds the perfect amount of fat and flavor.
- Veggies: I chose onions, carrots, and celery. I dice them up so they cook evenly and so there aren’t overly large pieces. I find the texture to be more pleasing this way.
- Poultry seasoning: Most poultry seasoning blends include dried sage, thyme, and celery seed which all taste great with turkey. If you like, you can use a homemade blend of spices. I use the pre-made seasoning blend as a shortcut, and it has all the flavors I’m looking for.
- Turkey: Any turkey meat you salvage from the carcass to make the stock can be diced up and added to the soup. If you have more turkey to use up, that works as well. Any combination of white and dark meat only adds more flavor and texture.
- Turkey stock: This soup is made using the homemade turkey stock above!
- Rice or pasta: A starch goes great in this leftover turkey soup recipe. I recommend finishing it with cooked rice or pasta. I prefer white rice and rotini pasta, but you can choose another variety that you enjoy.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Turkey and bean soup: Add chickpeas, kidney beans, or any variety of beans that you like for extra protein and texture. You can also try it with lentils instead of beans.
- Spicy turkey soup: Give it some heat! Add diced jalapenos, some red pepper flakes, or even a dash of your favorite hot sauce.
- Turkey and potato soup: Swap the rice for some diced potatoes to switch up the flavor.
How to Make Turkey Soup From the Carcass
This turkey soup made from the carcass is easier than it seems! It’s a labor of love, but simple steps like cleaning the carcass and measuring your ingredients ahead of time will make the process of making the soup much easier.
Plus, you will find helpful info below such as how long to boil the turkey carcass for the soup to get the best result!
Step 1: Add ingredients to a stock pot. Break down the turkey carcass as much as you need to comfortably fit it into a large pot. Then, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Throw in the leaves, too — they add great flavor!
Step 2: Pour in water and seasonings. Add the salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, and parsley. Next, pour the water over the top until it just covers the turkey and the other ingredients.
Step 3: Simmer. Heat the pot over medium heat and bring it to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for around 3-4 hours. At that point, the turkey bones will begin breaking down.
Step 4: Strain. Take out the carcass and pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer to remove any other solid pieces.
Step 5: Cook the veggies. In a separate large pot, melt the butter. Add the onions and sauté them until they are soft. Then, add the carrots and celery. Cook for 4-5 more minutes.
Step 6: Season. Sprinkle in the poultry seasoning and stir the mixture well. Cook it for an additional minute to release the flavor of the seasoning.
Step 7: Add the remaining ingredients and simmer. Pour in the broth, and then add the turkey meat and cooked rice (or pasta). Stir to combine. Turn the heat to low and let the soup simmer until everything is fully cooked and warm.
Step 8: Serve. Enjoy a nice, hot bowl of turkey soup!
⭐ Hint: Don't rush the broth process! Allow plenty of time for the turkey carcass to break down in order to infuse as much flavor as possible.
If you love turkey recipes like this one, you may also enjoy Oven Roasted Turkey or our Turkey Pot Pie with Stuffing Crust.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You can store the broth in the freezer for up to 2 months in an airtight container and the finished soup for up to 1 month. Thaw either in the refrigerator overnight before you use it.
- Reheating: You can reheat this soup over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes on high.
- Make Ahead: Boil the carcass and make the broth up to 24 hours in advance. Then, you can make the soup for dinner the next day!
Serving Suggestions
- There’s nothing better than dipping bread in a tasty soup broth. Try making Sweet Onion Sage Bread and Air Fryer Garlic Bread to serve with this recipe.
- I like enjoying a simple salad Strawberry Spinach Salad on the side with a hot bowl of turkey carcass soup.
- Make a sandwich! Try the Air Fryer Grilled Cheese and Tomato or Oven Grilled Cheese Recipe for dipping in or serving alongside the soup.
Expert Tips
- Use cold water: When making the stock, pour cold water over the turkey bones and veggies. Starting with cold water will yield a more flavorful result.
- Skim the fat: As the broth simmers, skim off any fat or foam that rises to the top and discard it for a less cloudy broth.
- Add more aromatics to the stock: Use your favorite fresh herbs and spices to infuse flavor into your soup.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Add all of the turkey soup ingredients to the slow cooker (minus the cooked rice or pasta) and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Add the rice or pasta during the last hour of cooking and enjoy.
Of course! Add the butter and veggies and cook on the sauté setting before you add the rest of the ingredients. Pressure cook the soup for 10-15 minutes and enjoy! You can also pressure cook the carcass and make the broth in your Instant Pot, too.
Yes, you can. However, the best part of this recipe is the homemade broth made from the turkey bones!
For another tasty soup dish, try out our Ham and Bean Soup (Crock Pot) recipe.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Easy Turkey Carcass Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
Turkey Stock Ingredients
- 1 turkey carcass cleaned of skin, fat and meat
- 1 large white or yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 3 carrots quartered
- 3 stalks celery quartered
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 10 peppercorns
- 6 bay leaves
- 2-3 sprigs fresh parsley or 2 teaspoon dry
- water to top
Turkey Soup Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 5 large carrots diced
- 4 stalks celery diced
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 2 ½ cups diced turkey meat
- 9 -10 cups turkey stock
- cooked rice or cooked pasta as needed for serving
Instructions
- Break the turkey carcass apart at the joints where you can, in order to be able to fit it into the soup pot. Remove all the skin and fatty parts as well.
- Place the turkey pieces into a large stock pot. Add the onion, the carrots and the celery stalks ( if you have the leafy tops those are amazing for flavour, add them in!) .
- Add in the salt, peppercorns, bay leaves,,fresh parsley, and then cover the turkey with water, just to the top of it.
- Simmer for 3-4 hours until the turkey bones are starting to break down, the meat is falling off the bone and the broth is looking cloudy.
- Remove the carcass from the soup pot carefully and set aside. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer then place in another pot.
- Chose the soup pot that you want to use, then add in the butter. Fry the onions until soft, then add in the celery and carrots. Fry for another 4-5 minutes, then add in the poultry seasoning. Fry for 1 minute.
- Add in the turkey meat, the broth and the cooked rice or cooked pasta, Stir. Bring to a low simmer and cook until the rice is done and the vegetables are soft.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Use cold water: When making the stock, pour cold water over the turkey bones and veggies. Starting with cold water will yield a more flavorful result.
- Skim the fat: As the broth simmers, skim off any fat or foam that rises to the top and discard it for a less cloudy broth.
- Add more aromatics to the stock: Use your favorite fresh herbs and spices to infuse flavor into your soup.
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