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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
This Turkey Carcass Soup is the best way to use up your leftover roast turkey! It’s loaded with healthy vegetables, turkey meat, and homemade broth made right from the carcass. I also add wild rice to make this a hearty meal in a bowl!
If you want to make turkey soup from scratch, you’ll need some leftover turkey to get started! Use the leftovers from my Deconstructed Turkey and Stuffing With Vegetables in ONE Roaster or Thanksgiving Turkey recipes. And if you have a lot of extra turkey on hand, put it to good use in my Turkey Pot Pie!
Reader Review
My husband and I make this several times a month AND we do it year round! It’s one of our absolute favorite soups! Thank you so much for the recipe! We love to make corn muffins to go with this! ❤️
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This soup is super easy to make – basically set it and forget it while the broth cooks!
- Total Time: It takes about 4 hours and 10 minutes from start to finish, but luckily, most of that is simmering time.
- Variations: Swap the wild rice for egg noodles for a fun twist, or add extra seasoning like paprika and cayenne for a little kick. Feel free to throw in extra vegetables like frozen peas, green beans, or corn, too! Serve your soup with my Simple Crostini Recipe and a Caesar salad for the perfect dinner.
- Tools For This Recipe: You will need a large lidded stock pot, a knife for chopping, a fine-mesh strainer, a soup pot, and a ladle for serving.
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Turkey Carcass: The turkey carcass is used to make the homemade stock, and any meat you pull from it is saved and added back into the soup!
Vegetables: You’ll need onion, carrots, and celery for both the stock and the soup. The veggies in the stock help flavor the broth, while sautéed diced vegetables are added to the soup later on. Karlynn’s Tip: Feel free to add extra vegetables to the soup, like green beans, potatoes, or peas!
Wild Rice Mix: Using a hearty wild rice mix makes this turkey soup extra filling.
Seasonings: You’ll need peppercorns, salt, bay leaves, and parsley for the stock, then poultry seasoning for the soup. It adds a ton of flavor and enhances the broth! Karlynn’s Tip: Use store-bought poultry seasoning or make my Homemade Poultry Seasoning Recipe, and don’t be afraid to add any other seasonings you enjoy.
How To Make Turkey Carcass Soup
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Take your roast turkey, remove all the meat from the bones, and place it in a container.
- Break the turkey carcass apart at the joints, and remove the skin and fatty parts.
- Place the turkey carcass pieces in a large stock pot.
- Add the seasonings and vegetables, then cover the turkey with water up to the top of it.
- Simmer for 3-4 hours until the turkey bones break down, the meat falls off the bone, and the broth is nicely colored.
- Carefully remove the carcass from the stock pot and set aside. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer and return it to the pot.
- Choose a soup pot, add butter, and fry diced onions until soft
- Add diced celery and carrots, fry for 4-5 minutes, and add in the poultry seasoning.
- Add the turkey meat, broth, and rice, and simmer until the vegetables are soft and the rice is completely cooked.
- Serve and enjoy!
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Turkey Carcass Soup
- Remove the Fat First: The key to making this turkey carcass soup in one day is removing the fat before you make the broth. A lot of recipes have you cool the broth and skim the fat off the top, but when I’m making soup, I want to eat it that day! Remove the skin and excess fat and clean up the bones before making the broth. This leaves you with just the right amount of flavor from the turkey fat without having to wait for the broth to cool.
- Prep the Turkey as You Go: As you’re removing the meat from the carcass, chop it into small pieces for the soup and measure out two cups as you go. It’ll save you a ton of time later!
- Make More Broth: If you want to make a larger batch of soup, you can add more water to the broth, but you’ll need to compensate for the diluted flavor. Add some store-bought chicken or turkey stock to bring the flavor back up. This is super helpful if you have a smaller turkey but want to make a big batch of soup!
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator: Store leftover turkey soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or warm the soup gently in a pot on the stove.
Freezer: Turkey soup can be frozen for up to 3 months following USDA food safety guidelines. Let the soup cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container, leaving a little room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating!
More Delicious Soup Recipes
Soups are some of the coziest meals you can make year-round, so if you want a warm hug in a bowl any day of the week, try one of these Soup Recipes next:
- Swap out the wild rice for noodles and make my comforting Turkey Noodle Soup this fall!
- This hearty, rich, and satisfying Ham & Potato Soup is bound to bring a smile to everyone’s face around the table.
- My quick and easy Chicken Corn Soup is a delicious option for lunch or dinner any day of the week!
There you have it, folks! This turkey soup is the perfect way to turn your leftover turkey into a nutritious, filling meal that the whole family will love.
Don’t toss that turkey carcass after your next holiday dinner! Make this big pot of soup instead, and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
How to Make Turkey Carcass Soup
Ingredients
Turkey Stock Ingredients
- 1 turkey carcass, cleaned of skin, fat and meat
- 1 large white or yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 5 peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
- 2-3 sprigs fresh parlsey, or 2 tsp dry
- water to top
Turkey Soup Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 4-5 large carrots, diced large
- 3-4 stalks celery, diced large
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 2 cups diced turkey meat
- 8-10 cups turkey stock
- 1 cup wild rice mix
Instructions
- Break the turkey carcass apart at the joints where you can, in order to be able to fit it into the soup pot. Remove all the skin and fatty parts as well.
- Place the turkey pieces into a large lidded stock pot. Add the onion, the carrots and the celery stalks ( if you have the leafy tops those are amazing for flavour, add them in!) .
- Add in the salt, peppercorns, bay leaves,,fresh parsley, and then cover the turkey with water, just to the top of it.
- Simmer, covered, for 3-4 hours until the turkey bones are starting to break down, the meat is falling off the bone, and the broth is looking cloudy.
- Remove the carcass from the soup pot carefully and set aside. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer then place in another pot.
Turkey Soup Ingredients
- Chose the soup pot that you want to use, then add in the butter. Fry the onions until soft, then add in the celery and carrots. Fry for another 4-5 minutes, then add in the poultry seasoning. Fry for 1 minute.
- Add in the turkey meat, the broth and the rice, Stir. Bring to a low simmer and cook until the rice is done and the vegetables are soft.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- If you want to reduce the stock, after you strain it you can return it to the same pot and boil it until it’s reduced. This will make it stronger tasting.
- I have estimated that you will have around 8-10 cups of broth when you are done cooking to use in your soup. If you made more than that, simply store the extra in a container and freeze for later!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Brenda Stewart says
So after you make the stock/broth and strain it, what do you do with the carrots, onions, and celery that were used for that? Can you use them as part of the soup ingredients?
Karlynn Johnston says
No, they disintegrate into the soup and are mush by the time you’re done making the stock. The reason the stock is so good is that the vegetables do start to disintegrate into it. Just use fresh vegetables for the next step.
Sarah says
I always add dumplings at the end of this soup recipe! Amazing!
Tammy Harris says
Also use the leftover smoked veggies i put on smoker
Broccoli,,cauliflower , asparagus, carrots ,green beans, mushrooms, turnips, water chestnuts, bell peppers, red yellow, orange, babies sweet, shallots, garlic, balsamic vinegar, any spice you find appealing
Mindy Meadows says
The best soup I ever made! I used 3 cups of turkey and added some frozen peas. Made me think I’ve been making soup all wrong for 30 years it as so delicious.
Jon Tyler says
I would cut down on the salt a bit. Turned out too salty for my taste. But after diluting it a little tasted great
Deede says
I made this soup, very tasty, however, the salt content was too much. I would reduce it to 1 tablespoon, or wait to add it after. Maybe my turkey’s seasoning was too much for the use of the larger amount of salt. Also, I added bell peppers and potatoes to my soup and served it over noodles. I will make this again for sure.
Amy says
I just finished making the stock and it’s too late to eat tonight. Is it ok to refrigerate the stock and then do the soup the next day? Thanks!
Dayle says
This recipe is just what I was looking for. The soup came out great ! I did do one thing differently. I used organic onions and didn’t peel them. The skins gave the broth a nice golden color and added some additional flavor.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Sharon says
Could l use noodles instead of rice?
Lawrence Hill says
I roasted a turkey for the first time in about 20 years. It turned out well.
I have always wanted to try my hand at turkey noodle soup. Your recipe was easy, with perfect directions.
This recipe is s keeper! I quickly devoured to bowls. I see why it has 5 stars!
Claudine says
Just made this soup using the carcass from our Thanksgiving turkey and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Karlynn Johnston says
I’m making mine today!!!
Angela says
I just posted above for the instant pot. Scratch the 12 min for the second part do it for 22min and rice is perfect
Aileen Harley says
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Best Turkey Soup I have ever tasted!!!
This is my go to recipe for making turkey soup! Been using it for a few years now. I have tried other recipes in the past and they were always so bland. I like how detailed Karlynn made the recipe. I did not alter or change anything as it is perfect in my eyes! I used Wholesome wild rice blend by Nuworld, great rice but it contains red rice which turned the whole soup a tinge pink lol. Still tasted delicious but I will avoid any red rice blends going further. My hubby loves it he says it’s the best turkey soup ever! His only complaint was “is there going to be enough for both of us?!?”
diane says
can you do this in the instant pot? thank you
Virginia says
Can you tell me what Wild Rice mix is? I only see instant at the store, unless I want to buy the ingredients and make it at home.
Karlynn says
There is usually a smaller bag of a wild rice mix in the stores, but not instant. Any wild rice will work!
Rebecca says
Best turkey/chicken soup I’ve ever made! Used the Christmas turkey carcass AND the Thanksgiving turkey carcass from the freezer, with some giblets and shitake mushroom stems for an extra large batch. Today I’m doing it with the Instant Pot and two chicken carcasses. Can’t wait!
Linda says
I’ve made soup from chicken and turkey carcasses for more than 40 years. I was a bit dubious about this recipe but tried it and it resulted in the best tasting soup I’ve ever made! I used brown rice since I had no wild rice. I used the carcass from a 16-lb turkey and it made 20 cups of stock, so I get to make another batch tomorrow :). My sweetheart is still walking around saying “that’s the best soup I’ve ever had” and encouraging me to make more turkey so I can make more soup. I highly recommend this recipe!!
Karlynn says
I am SO glad to hear it!!! Thanks for letting me know!.
C June says
My Mom always had soup from carcass, wing tips, neck, etc. Instead of just simmering carcass, put turkey, onion in roasting pan, drizzle with oil or butter. Roast until onions start to turn brown, then transfer to large pot and make broth
Kathie H says
I made this recipe after Christmas. I added diced sweet potatoes and white potatoes. Delicious and very filling
Maggie says
Loved it, along with the family, great recipe. Didn’t use the entire carcass, used wings, drums and thighs worked out beautifully. Thank you
Maggie says
Loved it, along with the family great recipe. Didn’t use the entire carcass, used wings, drums and thighs worked out beautifully. Thank you
Kathy says
I made this soup at Thanksgivings and it was eaten up so very fast. We don’t usually have a big turkey at Christmas but we did this year so that I could make more Turkey Carcass soup. I call it Turkey Bone soup. This recipe is perfect and so very DELICIOUS!! Thank you so much for sharing. It will be a “pass down” recipe.
Anita says
Essentially the same recipe I use except I add medium diced potatoes to mine. Yum.
Jan says
Essentially the recipe I use except I add medium diced potatoes to mine. Yum.
Connie O says
I am an experienced cook but never made turkey soup from roasted turkey carcass. I must say this was the richest and most flavorful broth I ever tasted. I followed the recipe precisely. I used Amish noodles instead of rice. It was delicious. 2 thumbs up!
Karlynn says
Glad you loved it!
Tammy. Harris says
Try smoked turkey, the soup flavor to die for
Kim says
I eliminate the veggies and added seasonings. I use the crock pot, add the broken carcass, water to cover, and 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons, or 30 mL) of vinegar (I use a champagne vinegar, but any white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar will do). I crock on high X 4 hours, then on low overnight and through the morning. I strain the bone broth, let it cool in the frig, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. It can then be used as a supporting broth when ill, or as a base for other cooking. Herbs can be used according to your recipe when the bone broth is reheated.
Jean Doyle says
Just finishing up the soup. Followed the recipe as is (had to google poultry seasoning and made my own) and it looks & smells delicious! Thank you!
Sharon K says
Not a big rice fan. I’m thinking about using noodles instead. I think it should work.
Natalie Gillilan says
Hi there! I just wanted to double-check that the two tablespoons of salt is not a typo? That seems like an awful lot. Thank you! Natalie
Karlynn says
Hi! It’s actually just enough salt, you’re using enough water to cover an entire turkey carcass and all of those vegetables in the very large stock pot.
Angela W Broyles says
Love this recipe! Have made it several times! Always a winner
Sophie says
I’m confused am I putting the onion and carrots or rather the carrots in whole and the celery and simmer for several hours and then putting more carrots diced up and sautéing some fresh onions?
Karlynn says
hi Sophie, if you print out the recipe card there are very specific ingredients for the stock and then there are very specific ingredients for the actual turkey soup. Then in the directions it is split up into directions for the stock ingredients and then it is split up into directions for the actual soup ingredients if you follow those closely there should be no problem!
Lorraine Estevez says
I was confused about putting the onions and carrots too. The stock and soup are two separate recipes. One for the stock and one for the actual soup. Thank you for clearing that up…
Jennie says
Brilliant! Perfect timing – came home with the turkey carcass from last night’s Thanksgiving dinner at Mom’s. 😉
Thanks, Karlynn.
Jennie says
Karlynn, any thoughts on using the Instant Pot to make your turkey carcass soup?
Karlynn says
Yup!. You can totally cook it in the instant pot just do high pressure for a good 60 minutes or so!
Judy Sieg says
Followed the recipe using a smoked turkey carcass and it was delicious! I didn’t have poultry seasoning so I used a healthy mix of parsley, thyme, rosemary, and tarragon. This is definitely a keeper!
Tammy. Harris says
Exactly, I add alot more vegetables
Angela says
I just finished making it in my instant pot and it came out amazing! Do the first part on High pressure for 60 min and then strain. Once you strain sauté second part (butter &onions and then add veggies sauté ) add broth in with rice and cook for 12 min on high pressure again 👌🏽 Turned out so yummy