I’m as much a fan of the turkey leftovers as I am the freshly prepared meals on Thanksgiving Day! Let’s cook up some Thanksgiving Soups with all those leftovers! Mostly turkey, but you’ll also find links to soup recipes that use leftover prime rib, veggies, and ham too!
I discovered SO many recipes when I took a side trip down the rabbit hole of Thanksgiving soups to see what treasures I could find. This includes stew, chowder, chili, and even bone broth.
Want more than soup? Here are even more recipes that use leftover turkey.
Thanksgiving soups are an obvious choice for what to do with leftover turkey. This recipe is unique in that it uses barley. Instructions on how to use the turkey carcass to make bone broth are also included.
More or less barley can be used based on the desired soup thickness.
There are many variations of Thanksgiving soup recipes with each having a unique style, taste, or ingredient.
This recipe uses orzo instead of noodles but still offers the same comforting steamy warmth expected from a bowl of soup on a cool winter day.
A slow cooker is used for several Thanksgiving soup ideas like this Turkey Pie Soup. Depending on what veggies were served at the Thanksgiving meal, carrots, peas, corn, green beans, and potatoes might have been leftovers in addition to the turkey.
The creamy part comes from the heavy cream added during the last thirty minutes.
A new idea to me is used in this Thanksgiving leftovers soup recipe. Instead of noodles, giant couscous, also called Israeli couscous.
I have found many traditional Thanksgiving turkey soups that mimic chicken noodle soup like this one. Again, there are many variations so you can select the one that sounds most appealing to you.
Sage and thyme are the favors highlighted here.
When craving a flavor profile different from the usual Thanksgiving soup with leftovers, consider this Southwest soup.
It uses a spicy broth, corn, onions, peppers, and black beans making it more like a tortilla soup.
If chowders are more your style, Thanksgiving turkey soup recipes will oblige. This Turkey Corn Chowder is quick to make and uses both cream-style corn and whole kernel corn for a wonderful texture.
Thanksgiving soups come in quite a wide variety. This recipe uses white rice along with veggies, seasonings, broth, turkey, and evaporated milk.
In less than an hour, including enough time to cook the rice, it is ready to serve!
While this includes smoked turkey leg meat, any cooked turkey meat will work.
Fresh soaked or canned beans are good, along with your preferred rice showing this recipe has lots of flexibility. Simmer time allows the flavors to blend ever so nicely.
In addition to black beans and corn, it also calls for a can of Rotel, tomato paste, and taco seasoning. The toppings could be cilantro, onions, sour cream, avocados, tortilla strips, or shredded cheese.
This next Thanksgiving leftovers soup recipe includes homemade dumplings. Dumplings are like drop biscuits and when mixed into soup make it extra comforting. This recipe allows for leftover veggies to be added in as well.
This recipe includes instructions for making turkey bone broth in the Instant Pot for four hours before proceeding to the Thanksgiving turkey soup part.
Depending on your preference, it can be made with noodles, brown rice, quinoa noodles, or red potatoes. It also includes frozen sweet peas and cauliflower rice.
Mushroom lovers will go crazy over this Thanksgiving soup with leftovers recipe. The creamy part comes from blending potatoes or cashews, not heavy cream. It also gets its tastiness from the homemade turkey stock made in a slow cooker.
A new flavor appears in this entry of Thanksgiving turkey soup recipes. Lemon.
That’s right, the hint of lemon along with shredded carrots give it quite an unexpected look and flavor. A quick-cooking wild rice blend adds another layer of texture. For a splash of green, throw in some kale or asparagus, too.
Thanksgiving soups this good may become a new tradition in your home. This recipe includes tomatoes, spinach, orzo, and leftover turkey. It has a tomato-based broth with some Italian seasonings.
This one might be the easiest of these Thanksgiving soup recipes. So, if your preferred style is easy, this one is perfect.
Ah, now we are up to turkey chili on my Thanksgiving soup ideas list. With the name chili, it just instantly seems heartier and more satisfying. It can be made on the stovetop, slow cooker, or Instant Pot.
It includes tomatoes, garlic, peppers, black beans, and chili seasonings like paprika, chili powder, cumin, and turmeric.
If you enjoy New England clam chowder, this Thanksgiving leftovers soup recipe of New England Turkey Chowder might be right up your alley.
Instead of clams and clam juice, turkey and turkey stock are substituted.
The ingredient list is unique with salt pork, diced potatoes, turkey, and half and half.
19. Enchilada Soup
When craving Tex-Mex flavors in Thanksgiving turkey soups, this Enchilada Soup comes with cheese, enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, corn, avocados, and beans.
It is easily spiced up by adding jalapenos, hot sauce, or tomatoes with green chilis.
This turkey Thanksgiving soup with leftovers recipe is straightforward and similar to one listed earlier. However, I am including it here because of the extensive variations and FAQ list. It gives lots of ideas on various carb options, along with seasonings, broths, and thickening ideas.
Here we have among our Thanksgiving turkey soup recipes that are oh so delicious, one which uses a quick-cooking wild rice mix for the tasty combination of rice and turkey.
It also includes carrots, celery, onions, green onions, garlic, broth, turkey, milk, and bright seasonings.
Gnocchi shows up in this entry of Thanksgiving soups setting it apart from all the others. It also has spinach in its thick and creamy broth. Potato gnocchi is listed on the recipe card, but other varieties could be used along with Italian seasoning.
Thanksgiving soup recipes do not disappoint in giving us new ideas and bowls of pure enjoyment.
This recipe includes tetrazzini, bacon, and peas. No doubt you are familiar with the turkey tetrazzini casserole, well, this is the soup form. Some of the ingredients are creamy broth, seasoned turkey, any veggies, turkey or regular bacon, and whole wheat spaghetti broken in thirds.
When time is of the essence, Thanksgiving soup ideas are great choices. This thirty-minute recipe uses some shortcuts like canned soups for thickening and frozen veggies if fresh are not immediately available.
The pasta of choice here is farfalle, which is bow-tie-shaped.
Need a gluten-free idea for a Thanksgiving leftovers soup recipe? Then this is one to consider.
This slow cooker recipe cooks onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, garlic, mushrooms, stock, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and seasonings together for hours. Lots of room for veggies of your choosing.
26. Turkey Gumbo
Turkey Gumbo is a level above Thanksgiving turkey soups, combining the comfort of turkey with smoked sausage to create a Southern staple.
It includes turkey, veggies, sausage, okra, stock, and seasonings. Traditionally, it is served over rice.
On the lighter side, this recipe is perfect after a day of indulgence. The diced green chiles and cayenne pepper add a bit of kick. Lots of diced veggies, milk, cheddar cheese, and of course, turkey.
Thanksgiving turkey soup recipes each have broth of some kind, and this Pho recipe broth includes ginger, garlic, anise, cinnamon, cloves, Sriracha, and fish sauce. Rice noodles, turkey, bean sprouts, and green onion round out the ingredient list.
29. Thai Turkey Soup
The next of my Thanksgiving soups has a Thai influence with a creamy coconut curry flavor. This is definitely different from the turkey meal the day before.
It includes Thai red curry paste, lime juice, rice noodles, red bell pepper, and coconut milk. Not spicy, but you can up the fire content if you want.
30. Turkey Posole
As my list of Thanksgiving soup recipes comes to an end, this last entry is for turkey posole, a Mexican soup, quite different from the usual fare.
It includes shredded green cabbage, yellow onions, poblano chile peppers, garlic, turkey, cannellini beans, white hominy, chili powder, cumin, and oregano.
An hour to simmer, allowing all the flavors to combine, will result in this fabulous bowl of turkey posole.
This Leftover Ham and Bean Soup is a simple, hearty way to use up extra ham. With tender ham, veggies, and creamy beans, it’s a nice cold-weather meal.
I picked this one because it doesn’t use barley. It’s not my favorite grain and I don’t even keep it on hand. This uses leftover gravy, and you can use fresh or cooked veg.
It’s a great broth-based lovely soup to riff on with your own touches.
The bottom line
Thanksgiving soups can offer a warm, comforting but not as indulgent offering to the weekend after Thanksgiving when you are most likely to have leftover turkey on hand.
Here’s a bonus soup I’m particularly proud of: Lemony Shrimp Stew. If you have raw onions sitting around, use the turkey or ham broth and leftover cocktail shrimp. So good.
Check out our other Thanksgiving recipe inspirations below:
- 55 Best Thanksgiving Cookies
- 15 Thanksgiving Cocktails
- 30 Thanksgiving Appetizers
- 30 Thanksgiving Recipes (All Gluten-Free!)
- 25 Thanksgiving Casseroles
- 25 Keto Thanksgiving Recipes
- 28 Tasty Crockpot Thanksgiving Sides
- 15 Thanksgiving Desserts
BEST Thanksgiving Soups
Make use of all those meat leftovers and stir up a couple of luscious Thanksgiving soups!
Ingredients
- Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe: Turkey Barley Soup
- Turkey Orzo Soup
- Slow Cooker Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pie Soup
- Leftover Turkey Soup
- Turkey Noodle Soup
- Southwest Leftover Turkey Soup
- Leftover Turkey Corn Chowder
- Turkey & Rice Soup
- Smoked Turkey & White Bean Soup
- Crockpot Turkey Taco Soup
- Creamy Turkey & Dumplings Soup
- Turkey Soup In The Instant Pot
- Creamy Turkey Mushroom Soup
- Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- Leftover Turkey Soup Recipe With Orzo & Spinach
- Turkey Soup With Celery & Carrots
- Leftover Turkey Chili
- New England Turkey Chowder
- Instant Pot Enchilada Soup
- Turkey Soup With Egg Noodles
- Creamy Wild Rice Turkey Soup
- Creamy Turkey Gnocchi Soup
- One Pot Turkey Tetrazzini Soup
- Turkey Noodle Soup
- Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Stew
- Turkey Gumbo
- Light Turkey Corn Chowder
- Leftover Turkey Pho
- Thai Turkey Soup
- Turkey Posole
- Leftover Ham & Bean Soup
- Soup With Leftover Prime Rib
Instructions
- Scroll for your favorite recipe from our list of Thanksgiving Soups.
- Pick out the ingredients needed for the dish.
- Cook then enjoy immediately.