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The perfect leftover turkey soup recipe! This easy Instant Pot Turkey Soup is a delicious way to put those Thanksgiving or holiday leftovers to work. Made with leftover turkey meat, broth from the turkey carcass and extra veggies and herbs. Recipe also includes stovetop instructions!
Reasons To Love This Soup Recipe
Looking for an easy Instant Pot recipe to make with your Thanksgiving leftovers? Then you’ll love this turkey soup recipe!
For the best tasting soup, use a homemade turkey stock made from the turkey carcass. I usually make turkey bone broth immediately after our turkey dinner or the next day and then we have this easy, homemade turkey soup for dinner the following day.
I look forward to this soup every year. Here are a few reasons why it’s amazing…
- Great way to use leftovers: Super delicious way to use up Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey dinner leftovers! It uses up leftover turkey meat, broth made from the carcass and leftover herbs and veggies. You might also want to check out these other leftover turkey recipes too!
- Easy to make: This soup comes together quickly!
- Healthy comfort food: Cozy and comforting with the added benefit of also being good for you!
- Easy to customize: There are so many ways to customize this soup. Add noodles for turkey noodle soup or wild rice for turkey wild rice soup or lentils for turkey lentil soup. Add different veggies or herbs. You get the point! The possibilities are endless. Check out the Possible Variations section for some ideas.
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make this easy turkey soup recipe, you will need the following ingredients…
- Olive oil: To sauté the veggies.
- Veggies: A mixture of onions, carrots, celery and garlic for flavor.
- Turkey bone broth (stock): For the best tasting soup, use a homemade turkey stock made from the leftover carcass. However, you can also use a store bought turkey or chicken broth instead.
- Leftover turkey: Shredded or diced leftover cooked turkey.
- Herbs: Rosemary, thyme and sage are tied into a bundle with some cooking twine and cooked in the soup. I usually have these herbs leftover from making my herb butter turkey recipe. Chopped parsley is added to the soup once done to add some fresh flavor and bright color.
- Seasoning: Season with bouillon powder, salt and freshly ground pepper. Herbamare is also a delicious seasoning option.
- Egg noodles (optional): I like to turn this into a turkey noodle soup by also adding in some fine egg noodles.
Detailed ingredient list and directions located in the recipe card below.
How To Make Instant Pot Turkey Soup
To make this turkey soup recipe in the Instant Pot, simply…
STEP 1: Sauté Veggies. Turn on the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. Heat the olive oil and add in the chopped onions, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and sauté for another minute while stirring. Turn off the Sauté function.
STEP 2: Add In The Rest. Add in the turkey bone broth (turkey stock), shredded or diced turkey and the herb bundle.
TIP: After the broth is added, scrape up any cooked on bits at the bottom with a wooden spoon. This will avoid the possibility of a “Burn” warning later on.
STEP 3: Pressure Cook. Secure the lid and set the steam release valve to the “Sealing” position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 2 minutes. Once the cook time is over, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes is up, release the remaining pressure by turning the steam release valve to the “Venting” position. Once the pin drops, open the lid.
STEP 4: Season + Serve. Remove the herb bundle and season with bouillon powder (I use this homemade bouillon powder), salt and freshly ground pepper. The amount of seasoning needed will depend on if your turkey broth was seasoned or not and personal taste. Stir through parsley right before serving.
New to the Instant Pot or confused by the terminology? Check out these 10 Instant Pot Tips For Beginners.
Want Noodles?
For turkey noodle soup, throw in some uncooked fine egg noodles (or soup noodle of choice) once done pressure cooking. Boil on the “Saute” setting until they are soft. Or cook noodles separately and add in when serving. This allows everyone to add as much as they like.
TIP: I recommend keeping the noodles separate if storing as they tend to absorb a lot of broth and get mushy if freezing.
Stovetop Instructions
No Instant Pot? No problem! This turkey soup recipe is super easy to make on the stovetop as well! Simply…
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch Oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté until onions are softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and sauté for another minute while stirring.
- Pour in the turkey broth and hang in the herb bundle. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add in the turkey and egg noodles (if using them) and continue cooking until the noodles are soft.
- Remove the herb bundle and season to taste. Stir through the parsley right before serving.
Storage Info
- How long will turkey soup last in the fridge? Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Can turkey soup be frozen? Yes – it’s great for meal prep! Freeze for up to 3 months. Tip: If you plan on freezing this soup, don’t add noodles ahead of time since they will get mushy in the freezer.
- Reheat: If frozen, thaw before reheating. To reheat, simmer in a pot over low heat.
Storage Container Options
I like to store soups in wide mouth mason jars in both the fridge and freezer. Using a wide mouth funnel makes filling the jars easy and mess free! If you plan to put them in the freezer, make sure to follow these Tips For Freezing Food In Mason Jars. I haven’t had a cracked jar since following these tips!
Souper Cubes are another great option for freezer storage. No need to worry about glass! They come in a variety of portion sizes and the frozen food pops out easily. You can purchase them directly from the Souper Cubes website or find them on Amazon: US | CAN.
Turkey Soup FAQ
Serve with fresh bread, buns, biscuits, garlic bread or a leftover turkey sandwich. Or with a side salad! Serving this Roasted Pumpkin and Beetroot Salad or this Winter Holiday Salad alongside the soup would turn it into a wonderful fall or festive dinner.
For herbs, I like to use a combo of fresh sage, thyme and rosemary in the soup since I usually have these leftover from making the turkey dinner. Then I like to finish it off with some fresh parsley to add some color and freshness. However, you can use any fresh or dried herbs that you enjoy or have leftover!
I like to keep it as simple as possible and use onions, celery and carrots which I always seem to have extra of from Thanksgiving prep. But you can also add in any additional veggies you like: corn, mushrooms, squash, sweet potato, parsnip, frozen mixed veggies, etc.
A good turkey stock and the sautéed veggies add a delicious base. Herbs and other aromatics like garlic or ginger add another layer of flavor. To season it, I like to add some of this homemade bouillon powder along with some salt and pepper to taste.
Make a turkey sandwich, add it to a nourish bowl, or substitute it in any recipe that calls for cooked chicken like this Chicken Macaroni Salad or these Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas. Or check out these Leftover Turkey Recipes for tons more delicious ideas!
Possible Variations
This soup can be customized in so many ways! Here are a few ideas…
- Use different broth: Instead of turkey broth, you could use a chicken or vegetable broth instead.
- Add more veggies: Bulk it out with additional veggies like corn, squash, sweet potato, parsnip, zoodles, cauliflower rice, frozen veggies, etc.
- Use different herbs: Use any fresh herbs that you have on hand or dried herbs instead. Herbes de Provence is also a nice addition. You could also substitute fresh dill instead of the parsley at the end (or just leave it out). Or stir through a bit of pesto like this sage pesto.
- Add noodles or rice or lentils: Add in your favorite soup noodles, lentils, rice or wild rice at the end to make a delicious turkey noodle soup, turkey lentil soup or turkey rice soup.
- Make chicken soup: Swap the turkey with chicken and the turkey broth with chicken broth for a delicious homemade chicken soup.
More Instant Pot Soups
The Instant Pot is great for making soups and bone broths. Here are a few more recipes to try…
Did you make this turkey soup recipe? I would love to hear about it! Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Instant Pot Turkey Soup
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 6 to 8 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy Instant Pot Turkey Soup is a delicious way to put those Thanksgiving or holiday leftovers to work. Recipe also includes stovetop instructions!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups (2 liters) turkey stock (bone broth), homemade or store bought
- 2–3 cups shredded or diced leftover cooked turkey
- A few fresh sprigs of rosemary, thyme and sage, tied into a bundle with some cooking twine
- 1 – 2 tablespoons bouillon powder, or to taste
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 handful parsley, roughly chopped
- Optional: fine egg noodles
Instructions
- Sauté veggies: Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot on the “Sauté” setting. Add the chopped onions, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and sauté for another minute while stirring. Turn off the Sauté function.
- Add stock, turkey and herbs: Pour in the turkey stock (turkey bone broth) and scrape up any browned bits at the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add in the shredded or diced turkey and the herb bundle.
- Pressure cook: Secure the lid and turn the valve to the “Sealing” position. Set to pressure cook for 2 minutes (high pressure) followed by a 10 minute natural release. Once the 10 minutes are up, carefully release the remaining pressure by turning the valve to the “Venting” position. Once the pin drops, open the lid.
- Season + Serve: Remove the herb bundle and season with bouillon powder (I use this homemade bouillon powder), salt and freshly ground pepper. The amount of seasoning needed will depend on personal taste and if your turkey stock was already seasoned or not. Stir through parsley right before serving.
For Turkey Noodle Soup:
Throw in some uncooked fine egg noodles (or soup noodle of choice) once done pressure cooking. Boil on the “Sauté” setting until they are soft or cook noodles separately and add in when serving (my preference). I recommend keeping the noodles separate if storing as they tend to absorb a lot of broth and get mushy if freezing.
Notes
- Storage: Store soup in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Mason jars and Souper Cubes are both great storage options. If freezing in mason jars, make sure to follow these tips on how to freeze food in mason jars without breaking them.
- Stovetop Instructions: This turkey soup is super easy to make on the stovetop as well. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch Oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté until the onions are softened. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute while stirring. Pour in the turkey broth and hang in the herb bundle. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add in the turkey and egg noodles (if you like) and continue cooking until the noodles are soft. Remove the herb bundle, season to taste and stir through chopped parsley right before serving.
- Homemade Turkey Bone Broth: For the best tasting soup, use a homemade turkey stock like this turkey bone broth recipe made from the leftover carcass. I like to make it after my turkey dinner (or the day after) and then make this soup the following day.
- New To The Instant Pot? Check out these 10 Instant Pot Tips For Beginners.
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Great job with the recipe, and all the extra tips and variations are very much appreciated. Wonderful pictures too – I didn’t realize how much I missed seeing those little egg noodles in chicken/turkey soup. I guess it’s kind of a throwback to the packaged Lipton soups of my childhood. But this is much, much tastier. Haha.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the post! The noodles do kind of look like the Lipton ones don’t they lol? I never thought of that! I grew up with German parents and these are the German egg soup noodles that my Mom used in lots of broth based soups when I was growing up!
IMHO the only reason to have leftover turkey is so that it can be made into soup! I love the look of the noodles and bright veggies in your soup. The instant pot is the way to go here.
I agree since you can even use up the carcass to make the turkey stock first! Such a delicious way to use the leftovers!
yes to this IP turkey noodle soup! Perfect way to use up leftover turkey!
It sure is! It’s a must have for me every year:)