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Turkey Noodle Soup

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Turkey Noodle Soup – A super easy turkey noodle soup to warm you up on cold nights. And the perfect way to use turkey leftovers!

Bowl of Turkey Noodle Soup with bread and carrots in the backgroundHappy Monday! Or should I say…Happy Cyber Monday! If you’re anything like me, you’re doing all your holiday shopping online. Anything to avoid the craziness of the mall. I can handle the crowds inside but the parking and traffic drives me absolutely bonkers. So I take advantage of the online deals. Do you??? I promise to make this post short and sweet so you can get to your shopping list.

Today’s recipe is a useful one! Or at least I hope it is for you like it was for me. It was the perfect recipe to use the leftover turkey we had from Thanksgiving.Spoonful of Turkey Noodle Soup Dipping bread into Turkey Noodle Soup

I’d love to say that I make this recipe every year but sadly, most years, my leftover turkey recipes consist of turkey sandwiches. Womp womp. But this year I was determined to make something exciting from leftovers.

Originally, I wanted to make a rich, hearty turkey pot pie. But after such an unhealthy week of eating, I needed something a little lighter. Ah ha! I’ll make chicken noodle soup! Err, I mean turkey noodle soup. It’s been consistently cold here in Atlanta so I thought it would be a great comfort food to keep me warm this past weekend.

And man was I right! This soup was just the comfort that I needed. Plus, I had an excuse to buy some crusty french bread to enjoy along side of it. It wouldn’t be a meal if it didn’t have a side of carbs to go with it, am I right?!

This soup is so so easy to make. It only takes about 30-40 minutes from start to finish, including prep. Perfect for weeknights! And the flavor?! Ohhhh man, guys. The herbs add such freshness that cannot be found in canned soup and a splash of lemon juice brightens up the soup that you cannot imagine making turkey/chicken soup without it again. I was so surprised by the flavor that the lemon juice added. Seriously so yummy.

Pot of broth, noodles and vegetables with turkey piled in the middle Lade full of Turkey Noodle Soup above the pot Bowl of turkey noodle soup with bread being dipped in

Before you get going on this recipe, here are some helpful tips:

  1. You can easily use chicken instead of turkey. So don’t forget about this recipe later down the road when you have leftover rotisserie chicken to use!
  2. I love using egg noodles for noodle soup. But you can use any pasta noodle you like: rotini, chopped fettuccine noodles, heck, even bowtie pasta!
  3. Like I said above, this is a quick recipe that you can easily make during the week. But if you want to make it even easier, you can prep the veggies ahead of time. It’ll save you about 10 minutes, depending on how quick you chop.
  4. This recipe yields a noodle-heavy soup. If you want it more brothy, you can add 1-2 cups of water to loosen it up. But I suggest you wait until after the noodle step before you decide. That will give you a better idea of what the final soup will look like.
  5. Just because you’re making a lighter soup, doesn’t mean you can’t be a little bad, too. I love serving this soup with a piece of crusty french bread. Instead of buying a whole loaf in the bakery, I buy frozen french bread rolls so I can heat up one when I need it and won’t end up wasting a whole loaf.

I hope you love this recipe! I definitely did. What other recipes do you have for turkey leftovers? I still have about 2 cups to use!

Here are all the kitchen tools and serveware that I used in this post. For each item that is sold, I receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting the brands that support CPA!

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a spoon with Turkey Noodle Soup on it above a bowl of soup
Print Recipe

Turkey Noodle Soup

A super easy soup to warm you up on cold nights. And the perfect way to use turkey leftovers!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup carrots thinly sliced
  • 1 cup celery thinly sliced
  • 1 cup yellow onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 64 ounces chicken broth low sodium
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 12 ounces egg noodles
  • 2 cups turkey breast cooked and shredded
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt (or to taste)

Instructions

  • Add olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven. Turn heat to medium-high.
  • Once olive oil is warmed, add celery, carrots, and onion. Cook for about 7 minutes, or until veggies start to soften, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and stir into veggies. Let cook for 1-2 minutes but do not let it burn.
  • Add chicken broth, bay leaves, dried thyme, dried oregano, and black pepper. It will sizzle violently, which will help scrape off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring broth to a boil and let boil for 5 minutes, or until veggies are tender enough to cut with a fork.
  • Add egg noddles and cook for 8-10 minutes, until al dente. If the broth is too low for your taste, it's okay to add 1-2 cups of water.
  • Add chicken, fresh parsley, and lemon juice. Let it boil for 2 more minutes, until chicken is warmed through. Taste the soup to see if it needs salt. If so, add about 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Keep adding more if the soup still needs it. I added about 3/4 tablespoon in total. Serve immediately and enjoy with a great piece of crusty bread. Yummm!

Notes

Recipe adapted from Averie Cooks
You can refrigerate leftovers for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Turkey Noodle Soup photo collage

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Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Bowl of Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Pot of tomato basil soup

Simple, Classic Chili

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Comments

  1. Rachel says

    This soup looks incredibly comforting! I love the splash of lemon juice idea – it really does make such a difference in brightening up the flavors. After Thanksgiving this year, I was looking for creative ways to use leftovers beyond the usual sandwiches. I actually put together a little video montage of our family cooking session using some AI music tools I found online, and it turned out so fun. Will definitely try this recipe next time!

    Reply

  2. qp924 says

    Swapping turkey into chicken noodle soup is a great lighter option after heavy holiday meals. I’ve been winding down in the evenings with some free ASMR (https://freeasmr.net) to decompress from all the cooking—perfect pairing.

    Reply

  11. Diane Lopez says

    Made this soup last night & it was delicious! I love the smell of oregano & thyme but I didn’t put the entire amount of noodles because I wanted it more soupy! My husband & I thank you!

    Reply

  12. Maria says

    Easy recipe as i tend to have these ingredients on hand. I did end up using a total of 12 cups of water (used chicken bouillon cubes instead of broth, no need to add additional salt) as i felt once i added the noodles there was not enough liquid. Next time i will only do 1/2 teaspoon pepper, too peppery for my liking. Otherwise made this almost exact and turned out really good.

    Reply

  20. Cait Weingartner says

    This soup looks so delicious that it makes me wish I’d made a turkey instead of lasagna for Thanksgiving this year! But, I do plan on having turkey for Christmas Eve dinner, and you can bet I will be making a pot of this soup with the leftovers!

    Reply

    • Sharon says

      Awww lasagna sounds so good too! If you get a craving for this soup before Christmas, you can easily use chicken instead!!!

      Reply

  22. Tiffany says

    I am ALL about soups and stews right now and it’s supposed to snow all week so I’m stocking up on some good recipes – this one included! Thank you! 🙂

    Reply

  23. Laura | Wandercooks says

    Oooh delicious. I love finding great ways to use up leftovers and this soup sounds light and filling and flavourful, especially with those gorgeous herbs and a sprinkle of lemon. Great tip on buying the French bread rolls too, it’s so handy to have a batch in the freezer ready to go when you need a little crunch to dinner!

    Reply

    • Sharon says

      I’m telling ya…that lemon makes a huge difference!!! And I’m glad you appreciate the tip about the rolls. It’s so perfect for leftovers since the btead won’t be stale the next day!

      Reply

  43. Sarah says

    LOVE this! Perfect way to use the leftover turkey annnnd to keep warm this week…because, the holidays season also means the start of the “bundle up” season. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  45. Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says

    Shopping at this time of year is only enjoyable if you have the time to do what you want to, no pressures and can switch off from the rat race surrounding you! Online is so much easier.
    Lovely recipe, an easy to make wholesome meal. I do like a good soup at this time of year, always very warming.

    Reply

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