This creamy leftover turkey soup recipe works great because it uses up the scraps of meat stuck to the bones and gets a robust flavor from the already-cooked turkey. It's the perfect way to use up a leftover turkey carcass.
1turkey carcass ribs, breastbone, spine, wings, legs
2tbspoildivided
2leeksrinsed drained and chopped
2carrotschopped
2celery stalkschopped
1onionchopped
3 - 4clovesgarlicminced
1-2tbsppoultry seasoning
½cupdry white wine
1quartChicken broth
1cupHeavy cream
4ozParmesan cheese
½cuppeas
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Roast the turkey carcass
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
Rub the turkey parts with 1 tablespoon oil and place onto a baking sheet lined with foil.
Roast the bones for 30 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown.
Make the leftover turkey soup
Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven or stock pot, preheated over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the pan.
Add the chopped leeks, carrots, celery, and onion to the pan and saute, stirring as needed, for 5 minutes until the veggies are just started to soften.
Add the garlic and poultry seasoning and cook 30 seconds longer.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine, pouring it in slowly and scraping up and browned bits.
Add the roasted turkey parts to the pot and pour in the chicken stock.
Bring to a gentle boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the soup to cook for 1 hour.
Using long tongs, carefully remove the turkey parts from the soup and palace in a bowl.
Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese to the soup and stir.
Pick the meat from the bones
When the turkey has cooled, pick any meat from the bones and discard the bones, fat, and skin.
Return the meat to the soup along with the peas. Stir everything to combine.
Serve
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot, garnished with a sprinkle of cheese, and freshly minced parsley.
Notes
To make leftover turkey stock:
Stop after simmering the soup in the broth with the vegetables and strain everything to make homemade leftover turkey stock. Allow it to cool before storing in air tight containers in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.