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A big bowl of leftover turkey noodle soup with egg noodles and carrots

Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup

Leftover roast turkey, carrots, celery and onion simmered in rich broth with wide egg noodles. Grandma's day-after-Thanksgiving soup — cozy, frugal and ready in under an hour.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 290

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter or skimmed turkey drippings
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced into coins
  • 3 celery ribs sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 8 cups turkey broth or chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 3 cups cooked leftover turkey chopped or shredded (about 1 lb)
  • 6 oz wide egg noodles about 3 cups
  • 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley optional, but pretty

Method
 

  1. Melt the butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and cook 6–7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and the vegetables are starting to sweeten.
  2. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds, just until it smells good.
  3. Pour in the broth. Add the bay leaf and poultry seasoning, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes, until the carrots are just tender.
  4. Stir in the turkey and simmer 5 minutes more, just to heat it through — it's already cooked.
  5. Add the egg noodles and cook 8–10 minutes, until the noodles are tender but not falling apart.
  6. Fish out the bay leaf. Taste and season with the salt and pepper — leftover turkey and broth vary, so trust your tongue.
  7. Ladle into warm bowls, scatter with parsley if you're using it, and serve right away, while the noodles are at their best.

Notes

Make ahead: the soup base (everything but the noodles) keeps 3 days in the fridge and freezes up to 3 months. Cook the noodles fresh when you reheat, so they don't go mushy.
Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge — the noodles will keep drinking broth as they sit, so add a splash of water or broth when you reheat.
Nutrition is an estimate per serving.