Save your leftover turkey carcass and enjoy all your Thanksgiving leftovers with this delicious turkey carcass soup. Combined with hearty grains, beans, and vegetables, this turkey soup is the perfect meal for the whole family to enjoy the day after Thanksgiving.
How about a title? It may not sound very appetizing to see the word “carcass” in your recipe, but this turkey carcass soup is definitely delicious and the perfect way to use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. I declare that it is.
I’ve been making this leftover turkey soup for years. I always save the turkey carcass and make this soup the day after Thanksgiving (or a later date if I don’t have time). I learned how to make this soup from my family over 10 years ago and it has been a favorite of mine ever since. You can also customize it to your liking! Let’s get started:
Why preserve and cook a turkey carcass?
Now, let’s talk about preserving turkey carcasses. There are several reasons to reuse this.
There’s still plenty of meat left on the bones! Don’t waste it. Turkey bones make a delicious and nutritious bone broth that contains amazing benefits like collagen and immune-boosting properties. your grandma was crazy about chicken soup
Of course, you can pick the turkey clean, but I’ve found that cooking it in broth helps remove some of the meat stuck to the bones. Also, the turkey carcass soup is delicious!
turkey carcass soup
Turkey carcass – Any size will do! Just adjust the water and seasonings depending on the size of your turkey carcass. Water – to make the apple cider vinegar stock – this helps the bones release collagen into the stock Onions Carrots Celery Grains – hearty grains (I like farro, barley, or wild rice) It’s perfect. Otherwise it will become too mushy. You can also make turkey noodle soup by adding noodles at the last moment, but I’ve found that noodle soup doesn’t freeze well. Beans – Optional, but white beans or lima beans are the best. Spices – I like sage and chicken seasoning, but you can play around here and make this turkey soup your own. Don’t forget to add salt and black pepper to taste!
How to make turkey carcass soup
Step 1: Cook and simmer the turkey carcass.
Place the turkey carcass in a large stockpot or large soup pot and cover with water. The amount of water depends on the size of the carcass. Add apple cider vinegar and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour.
Step 2: Remove turkey meat
Turn off the stove and carefully remove the turkey carcass from the pot and place it in a large shallow dish. Set turkey stock aside. Once the turkey carcass has cooled, remove the meat from the bones and set the meat aside.
Step 3: Cook the soup and seasonings
Add the onions, carrots, celery, grains, and beans (and chiles, if using) to the stock, bring the mixture to a boil again, then simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the grains are cooked through. Add turkey meat to soup, add spices and mix. Adjust the spices to your liking. Cook on low heat for another 10 minutes before serving.
–>Frequently Asked Questions
I would like to answer some questions I have about this turkey soup.
yes! If you don’t have time after Thanksgiving (or any other occasion that calls for a turkey), put the turkey carcass in a bag and tie it shut before putting it in the freezer. Turkey carcasses can be frozen for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to make turkey soup, simply add the frozen turkey carcass directly to the pot. No need to unzip!
yes! I tested this recipe both on the stovetop and in the Instant Pot. The only issue with the Instant Pot is space, but if you cooked a smaller turkey this year, you can make this recipe in the Instant Pot.
Here are the steps:
Place the turkey carcass in the Instant Pot and pour in water until completely submerged. Set the Instant Pot to the “soup” setting and adjust the time to 25 minutes. Release slowly for about 20 minutes and release quickly the rest of the time. Remove the carcass, puree it, and once it has cooled, separate the turkey meat from the bones.
Return the stock to the Instant Pot and add the vegetables, turkey, grains, and beans. Set to “soup” setting and cook for 10 minutes then quick release. The turkey carcass soup is ready!
yes! It’s definitely possible. To make delicious chicken carcass soup, be sure to save the chicken carcass after roasting the whole chicken. Just replace the turkey with chicken and keep everything else the same. Alternatively, you can make bone broth and freeze it to use in place of stock or consume daily to keep your immune system healthy.
It’s completely up to you! If your turkey soup has a lot of foam, skim the top or use a fine-mesh strainer to remove particles before continuing with the soup recipe. I think a quality carcass doesn’t need to be so strained.
Precautions for storage
Refrigerator: This turkey carcass soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week (if you can keep it that long)
Freezer: Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. Turkey soup for summer? Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Other Thanksgiving recipes you’ll love:
turkey carcass soup
Save your leftover turkey carcass and enjoy all your Thanksgiving leftovers with this delicious turkey carcass soup. Combined with hearty grains, beans, and vegetables, this turkey soup is the perfect meal for the whole family to enjoy the day after Thanksgiving.
Author: Davida Lederle Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 110 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
yield: 12 For one person (at least!) 1×
category: soup
method: cook
cooking: american
1 Turkey carcass (any size will do)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
4 celery stalk, chopped
1 cup Grain (I like barley, farro, or wild rice)
1 Canned beans, washed and drained (white or lima are best)
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon chicken seasoning
1 tablespoon drying thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper (optional): 1 can green chili pepper for added kick
*Please adjust the spices according to the soup.
Place the turkey carcass in a large stock pot and cover with water. The amount of water depends on the size of the carcass. Add apple cider vinegar and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour. Turn off the stove and carefully remove the turkey carcass from the pot and place it in a large shallow dish. Once the turkey carcass has cooled, remove the meat from the bones and set the meat aside. Add the onions, carrots, celery, grains, and beans (and chiles, if using) to the stock, bring the mixture to a boil again, then simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the grains are cooked through. Add turkey meat to soup, add spices and mix. Adjust the spices to your liking. Cook on low heat for another 10 minutes before serving. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for several months.
