Things You'll Need
1 onion
3 celery stalks
3 carrots
1 turkey carcass (or any leftover bones)
10 cups water
Large stock pot
Large bowl
Strainer
2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
4 cups leftover cooked turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup egg noodles
Making turkey noodle soup from scratch is not only fresher and more flavorful than store-bought soup, it is an effective way to use up every scrap of leftover turkey, including the bones. Instead of purchasing sodium-filled canned stock, you can make your own turkey stock by soaking the leftover turkey carcass in water to add rich flavor. Using shredded leftover turkey also makes the most of your leftovers. Add some vegetables and cooked noodles, and you have a rich yet budget-friendly dish.
Step 1
Slice an onion in half widthwise with the skin still attached. Cut 2 celery stalks and 1 carrot into large chunks. Transfer the onion, celery and carrot pieces into a large stock pot.
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Step 2
Place the turkey carcass or bones directly into the pot on top of the vegetables. Pour 10 cups of water into the pot, then stir all the ingredients together. Set your stove to medium-high and heat the mixture until it just starts to lightly bubble.
Step 3
Turn down the heat to low and let the ingredients cook through for about 2 hours. Place a strainer into a large bowl, then pour the contents of the pot into the strainer. Discard the solid pieces of vegetables and turkey bones and set the liquid stock aside.
Step 4
Wash and dry your stock pot, then place it back on your stove. Chop 1 celery stalk and 2 carrots into bite-size pieces. Set your stove to medium and drizzle 2 tbsp. of olive or vegetable oil into the bottom of the stock pot.
Step 5
Transfer the chopped vegetables into the pot and heat for 5 minutes or until they are tender. Cut your leftover turkey into cubes or shred it, then place it into the pot. Sprinkle the ingredients with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper.
Step 6
Pour in the turkey stock and mix all the soup ingredients together. Turn your stove up to high and let the soup cook until it just starts to boil.
Step 7
Turn down the heat to medium-low and heat the soup for another 10 minutes. Put 1 cup of egg noodles into the pot, then turn the heat back up to high until it starts to boil again. Let the soup boil for about 10 minutes to heat the noodles, then turn off the heat and serve.
Tip
To make your stock ahead of time, add all the turkey stock ingredients into a slower cooker set on low and heat the stock for about 7 hours, then strain.
If you don’t have any turkey bones or just don’t have time to make homemade stock, substitute 8 to 10 cups of low-sodium canned chicken broth.
Warning
Do not add the egg noodles into the soup if you plan on freezing the leftovers because the noodles will absorb the soup liquid and become too mushy--instead, just stir in fresh noodles after you defrost your leftover soup.
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