The Ultimate Guide to Making Delicious Turkey Noodle Soup from Scratch

Transform your Thanksgiving leftovers into a comforting and flavorful meal with this classic Turkey Noodle Soup. This recipe guides you through creating a rich, homemade stock from the turkey carcass, ensuring a depth of flavor that surpasses store-bought alternatives. Combined with tender turkey meat, hearty egg noodles, and a medley of simple vegetables, this soup is a satisfying and wholesome dish that can be enjoyed any time of year.

Homemade turkey noodle soup served in a dark bowl

After indulging in a hearty turkey dinner, you’re often left with a generous amount of leftover meat and the turkey carcass. Instead of letting these valuable resources go to waste, transform them into a soul-warming and incredibly tasty Turkey Noodle Soup. This recipe emphasizes using the carcass to create a homemade stock, infusing the soup with a robust and authentic flavor profile. By adding leftover turkey, a blend of nutritious vegetables, and perfectly cooked noodles, you’ll create a complete and fulfilling meal that’s perfect for a cozy night in.

Why You’ll Absolutely Love This Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe

This homemade Turkey Noodle Soup is more than just a way to use leftovers; it’s a culinary experience that brings comfort, warmth, and deliciousness to your table. It’s the ideal dish to prepare after a grand holiday feast, offering a light yet satisfying option that rejuvenates and delights. Every spoonful of this from-scratch creation is a testament to the cozy and comforting nature of homemade soup.

Maximizes the Use of the Entire Bird: By simmering the turkey carcass, you extract a broth that is significantly richer, deeper, and more flavorful than anything you can purchase in a store. This method allows you to harness every last bit of goodness from your leftover turkey, minimizing waste and maximizing flavor.
Embraces Simple, Comforting Flavors: The inclusion of carrots, celery, onions, aromatic herbs, and classic egg noodles ensures a familiar and satisfying flavor profile that is both comforting and never overly complicated.
A Budget-Friendly Meal Option: You’re effectively stretching your leftovers into a substantial pot of soup, providing a cost-effective way to feed a crowd without compromising on quality or taste.
Highly Adaptable to Your Preferences: This recipe offers a flexible framework that allows you to incorporate additional vegetables, substitute different types of noodles, or even freeze the stock for future culinary adventures.
The Perfect Post-Holiday Culinary Respite: Light, soothing, and incredibly easy to prepare, this soup provides a welcome break for a kitchen that might be feeling a bit weary after the holiday rush.

If you’re looking to expand your repertoire of comforting soups and stews, be sure to explore recipes like Thick and Hearty Homestyle Chili Recipe, Root Vegetable Soup, Easy Weeknight Taco Soup (Smoky, Hearty & One-Pot), and Slow Cooker Beef Stew. These recipes offer a variety of flavors and textures, ensuring there’s always a delicious and comforting option available.

Fresh ingredients for making turkey noodle soup recipe

Please note that stock ingredients are not pictured in the image. Refer to the comprehensive recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients, precise measurements, and detailed instructions.

The Essential Ingredients for a Flavorful Turkey Noodle Soup

The key to an exceptional Turkey Noodle Soup lies in the quality and combination of its ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in building the overall flavor profile and texture of the soup. Here’s a breakdown of the essential ingredients:

Turkey Carcass: Simmering the bones of the turkey carcass is the foundation of a truly exceptional soup. This process creates a rich, homemade stock that imparts a depth of flavor far superior to boxed chicken stock. The homemade stock boasts a deeper color, richness, and body due to the release of natural collagen from the bones, a characteristic that chicken broth simply cannot replicate.
Leftover Turkey: For the best texture and flavor complexity, use a combination of both dark and white meat from your leftover turkey. The dark meat adds a richness and depth, while the white meat provides a leaner and more delicate counterpoint.
Aromatic Vegetables: The classic mirepoix—a combination of carrots, celery, and onion—forms the aromatic base of the soup, layering in essential flavors that complement the turkey and other ingredients.
Classic Noodles: Wide egg noodles are the traditional choice for Turkey Noodle Soup, offering a satisfying chewiness and absorbing the flavorful broth beautifully.
Fresh Herbs: A blend of fresh thyme and parsley provides a vibrant freshness to the broth, adding a bright and herbaceous note that elevates the overall flavor profile of the soup.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the Perfect Turkey Noodle Soup

Creating a memorable Turkey Noodle Soup is easier than you might think. By following these detailed steps, you’ll be able to transform your leftover turkey into a culinary masterpiece that your family will rave about.

In a large stockpot, combine the turkey carcass, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, fresh parsley, kosher salt, and pepper. Cover with 16 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3–4 hours, or until the liquid has reduced by half (approximately 8 cups). During the simmering process, periodically skim off any foam that accumulates on the surface. Once the stock is ready, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside for later use.

Turkey stock ingredients simmering in a large pot.

Strained homemade turkey stock in a glass measuring cup

In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat the olive oil (or rendered fat from the turkey stock, which is highly recommended) and butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté the vegetables for 8-10 minutes, or until they have softened and become translucent. Stir in the thyme, bay leaf, minced garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook for an additional minute, allowing the aromatics to infuse the vegetables with their flavors.

Celery, carrots, and onions sautéing in a Dutch oven.

Adding herbs and spices to the sautéed vegetables.

Pour in the prepared turkey stock and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, which typically takes around 10-15 minutes. While the soup is simmering, cook the wide egg noodles according to the package directions until they reach an al dente texture. Drain the cooked noodles and set them aside separately from the soup.