Skip to content

Dinner Β· Lunch Β· Turkey

Turkey Noodle Soup from the Carcass

The day-after soup: stock made from the roasted turkey frame, with carrots, celery, egg noodles and the last of the turkey meat.

⏱ 1 hr (20 min prep, 40 min cooking) 🍽 Serves 8 · about 1½ cups leftoversfreezer friendlybudget

Part of our Thanksgiving dinner: menu, timeline and shopping list β†’

πŸ“… Add to my plan

ContainsMilk, Eggs, Wheat. Check the labels on what you buy; brands differ.

Ingredients

Make 8 servings
  • 10 cup Turkey broth or stock, from the carcass (see turkey stock), or store-bought
  • 2 tbsp Butter, unsalted, or olive oil
  • 1 Yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 Carrots, sliced
  • 3 stalk Celery, sliced
  • 1 tsp Dried thyme
  • 1 leaf Bay leaves
  • 6 oz Egg noodles, wide
  • 1 lb Turkey breast, bone-in, cooked leftover turkey, diced or shredded (about 3 cups)
  • ΒΌ cup Fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp Table salt, depends on the stock (to taste)
  • ΒΌ tsp Ground black pepper (to taste)

Make it yourself

Make the turkey stock yourself β†’ Make the butter yourself β†’ Make the egg noodles yourself β†’

In the planner, Make it on the shopping list swaps the store item for these ingredients and puts the work on your prep day.

Nutrition

Nutrition coming: the USDA numbers for these ingredients are being added.

Steps

You’ll need: large soup pot, ladle.

  1. Make the stock the day after dinner: break up the carcass and simmer it as in our turkey stock recipe. Strain and chill it; lift off the fat.
  2. Melt the butter in the pot and cook the onion, carrots and celery until they start to soften, about 8 minutes.
  3. Add the stock, thyme and bay leaf and simmer 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
  4. Add the noodles and cook as the package says, usually 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the turkey and simmer until the soup is steaming hot all through, 165Β°F.
  5. Season with salt and pepper, take out the bay leaf, and stir in the parsley.

🌑 Safe temperaturesLeftovers, reheated 165°F. Check the thickest part with a food thermometer (USDA). More on food safety.

Make aheadThe stock keeps 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator, or freeze it. Make the soup any day while the turkey is still good (3 to 4 days after Thanksgiving).
❄️ FreezerFreeze the soup without the noodles up to 2 to 3 months; add freshly cooked noodles when you reheat it.
β†Ί LeftoversRefrigerate within 2 hours; eat within 3 to 4 days. The noodles soak up broth, so add a little water when reheating. Reheat to 165Β°F.
πŸ§’ With kidsKids can slice celery with a kid-safe knife and stir in the noodles.
Gluten-free swapUse gluten-free pasta or rice.
Rice swapUse ΒΎ cup rice or wild rice instead of noodles; simmer until tender before adding the turkey.

Good to know

Stock vs. broth Cooking Fats Compared Salted vs. unsalted butter Fresh vs. dried herbs Table salt vs. kosher salt vs. sea salt Food Safety Basics

An original Teddy Rook Book recipe, written for our Thanksgiving dinner; safety steps follow USDA. Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central and changes with brands and portions.