Healthy Leftover Turkey Soup

Put that leftover turkey to good use by making it into this delicious, easy, and Healthy Leftover Turkey Soup Recipe. Complete with hearty vegetables, beans, and greens. This soup will get you feeling energized again after a large holiday meal!

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Turkey Soup with Leftover Turkey

I think almost everyone is in agreement that leftovers are one of the best parts of a holiday meal, especially Thanksgiving.

I personally enjoy being super creative with them, and I swear there is a never ending supply of thanksgiving leftover recipes. And friends I have brought you one more!

This one is on the healthy side…gasp! After doing recipe tests on Thankgsing food multiple times what I realized that I really wanted was something that still reminded me of the thanksgiving meal but totally healthy with a ton of vegetables… So I created this soup!

At the base of the soup we have broth and turkey. Then carrots and onions for veggies. I popped in some chickpeas for added fiber and nutrition. Then finished it off with spinach, one of the original superfoods!

The soup is warm and flavorful, exactly what your belly needs after stuffing your face full of pie!

Supplies 

This is a simple soup! You will need nothing out of the ordinary:

• Common kitchen items such as measuring cups/spoons, knifes, ladle
• Large Pot, I prefer making soups in my dutch oven, one of my favorite kitchen tools if you don’t have one yet they are definitely worth the investment

Ingredients

• onion – yellow or white varieties work here
• carrots – diced, you will want them fairly small because these are the part of the soup that takes the longest to cook
• olive oil – for sautéing the vegetables
• bay leaves – for that added flavor that comes with a cozy soup, I double up for this recipe and use 2
• fresh rosemary – a sprig or two for some fresh herby flavor, and if you are not a huge rosemary fan you can substitute for other fresh herbs as well, I think thyme would be a great addition to this soup
• chicken or turkey broth – if you are like me and make broth from your turkey carcass you should totally use that for this soup, if you are not an overachiever like me you can buy turkey broth (if you can find it) or totally use chicken broth
• chickpeas – one can of chickpeas, I choose chickpeas because of the texture, they really made this soup into a hearty soup by adding these instead of a more soft bean, plus they really take on the flavor of this soup well
• leftover turkey – the best part, you will want about 2 cups leftover diced turkey for this recipe
• salt to taste – adding salt to this recipe is fully dependent on what type of broth you are using, store bought vs. homemade can be a world of difference so as I write in the recipe do not add salt until it is done simmering and add by taste, if you haven’t done this before trust yourself. After tasting starting by adding about 1/2 teaspoon of salt, taste again, you might want to add more at this point so add another 1/2 teaspoon, the key is to really taste it, trust your tastebuds, you will know when the salt has reached the right amount
• baby spinach – ending with our superfood, the spinach will get added just at the end, just enough time for it to wilt but not too ling so it doesn’t wither away, don’t get too hung up on measuring the spinach, just throw in about 3 large handfuls

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

How to make Leftover Turkey Soup

When you dice your carrots and onions make sure to get them small enough, especially the carrots so that they don’t take forever to cook.

Add your large pot over medium-high heat. Add in oil and onions. Sauté 1-2 minutes. Add carrots and sauté an additional 3-4 minutes. 

Now you will add in the broth, chickpeas, turkey, bay leaves, and rosemary. Cover and bring to a boil, this should take about 10 minutes.

Reduce to medium heat and cook 10-15 minutes until carrots are tender, longer if needed. Taste, add salt if needed in 1/2 teaspoon increments. 

Stir in spinach and cook 1 minute uncovered before turning off heat. Remove bay leaves and rosemary springs before serving. 

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

I don’t like Rosemary, can I use something else?

Yes. Feel free to use additional or substitute other fresh herbs, such as thyme.

Can I freeze this Leftover Turkey Soup?

Yes, but if you do just be aware that the spinach part might not freeze well. If you are planning to make this just to freeze it I would make it without the spinach and plan on adding in the spinach when you are ready to eat if possible.

You might also like:

• Dry Brined Turkey
• Leftover Turkey Mini Pot Pies
• Cranberry Sauce Margaritas (Coming Soon)
• Apple Cranberry Salad with Turkey and Apple Cider Vinaigrette
• Simple Vegetable Rice Soup
• Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham

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