Save your turkey bones after Thanksgiving to make this Homemade Turkey Soup from scratch! A rich turkey stock turns into the best bowl of turkey soup you’ve ever tasted!
Ingredients
For The Stock:
- 1 leftover turkey carcass from about a 15 – 18 pound turkey, with most (but not all) of the meat removed along with any large pieces of skin (See Note*)
- 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped into large pieces
- 1 large onion or 2 smaller onions, peeled and cut in fourths
- 5 celery stalks, including the leafy tops, cut into large pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons of kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns (or lots fresh ground black pepper)
For The Soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 heaping cup diced carrots
- 1 heaping cup diced celery
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 8 cups of turkey stock
- 2 – 3 cups of leftover turkey meat
- 6 oz egg noodles (about 1/2 a bag)
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
To Make The Turkey Stock:
- Add the turkey carcass to a large, 15 quart stock pot. You can break the carcass down a little if you need it to fit in your pot better.
- Add in the onions, bay leaves, carrots, celery, salt and peppercorns (or fresh ground black pepper).
- Fill the pot with just enough water to cover the turkey bones and vegetables, too much water will result in a weaker stock. Turn the heat on high and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and let cook for 2-3 hours. As the stock simmers, skim off any foam (or scum) that bubbles up on the top. After 2 hours taste the stock for depth of flavor and seasonings and then cook longer if needed.
- Drain the stock into a colander over another stock pot and let cool. Once cooled for about an hour on the counter, you can put the stock into the refrigerator to chill for 3-4 hours or overnight until you see the fat separate to the top. Or let the stock sit on the counter for an hour and skim off the grease that has come to the top of the stock.
To Make The Turkey Soup:
- Add oil to a clean soup pout or dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper (to taste) and cook 7-8 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Pour in the turkey stock and then add the reserved cooked turkey and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the noodles, stir and cook another 10 minutes until the noodles are soft.
- Test and adjust for seasonings if needed and serve.
Recipe Notes
You can make this same recipe with a larger or smaller turkey or chicken. For a larger carcass you can add a few more vegetables to the pot and maybe a bit more salt and pepper. The key to making the most flavorful stock is to only add enough water to cover the bones and vegetables by about an inch. So a larger turkey will yield more stock than a smaller one.
Everyone cooks and seasons their turkey differently so the salt and pepper are to taste depending on how salty the stock is when it’s done.
Noodles: You can also cook the noodles separately and then add to bowls before serving. We do this often if we’re planning on freezing the soup.
Store: Leftover turkey soup or just the stock will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. After that it’s best to freeze any leftovers.
Freeze: To freeze the stock or the prepared soup, let cool completely and then add to freezer bags or a storage container. If you’re planning on making the soup to freeze, leave the noodles out and then add cooked noodles to the soup upon reheating.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
