Rich flavours and aromas in homemade leftover turkey noodle soup make it worth all the effort. The flavours from turkey bones, carrot, celery and herbs are so rich and comforting.
After making it from scratch I realize all the work that my mom used to put into it. I used to think making it was so daunting! It is not hard at all just takes a bit of time and can be easily spread out over days or the broth can even be frozen for up to 3 months until needed!
For YEARS I just threw away all those turkey bones. I didn’t realize how easy it was to use them to make leftover turkey noodle soup. I made this homemade broth first and then into turkey noodle soup and it was so delicious!!
This week, as insane as it seems, I roasted a 20lb turkey just so I could make soup! I had a turkey sitting in my freezer for months and wanted to get it out of there! I love having soup in my freezer as a simple and easy lunch! It is easy to make this broth and turkey noodle soup at the same time!
Twenty pounds is a crazy large turkey, it took 6 days in the fridge just to thaw it. It took 5.5 hours to roast it!! Oh, and when you don’t have 10 people over to eat turkey meat you get A LOT of turkey meat! I froze a bunch too! After spending that kind of time cooking it, it makes all the sense in the world to utilize every part of it! Making turkey bone broth is a very cost effective way to make a whole lot of meals at once by turning it into soup and freezing it!
Making Turkey Broth
- After taking as much meat off the bones as possible just break up the carcass and toss it in a very large stock pot.
- There is no need to peel any of the vegetables, the celery leaves and onion skins have tons of flavour and nutrients in them. Just quarter them and throw it in the pot to simmer away for a couple hours.
- Add 3 boxes of chicken stock and top with water to cover the bones. I added 4L of water until it was covered which made a considerable amount of stock.
- Simmer for 2 hours to get all those flavours out!
- Strain out all the bones and vegetables and save all that wonderful broth!
The flavours and aromas are incredible while it simmers away!
Storage
The broth will freeze wonderfully for up to 3 months if your not feeling up to making soup at the same time, or have other plans for the turkey broth.
Making the Broth into Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup
I took all that delicious broth that was strained and brought it back up to a simmer in the large stock pot. Add the vegetables first to give them time to soften up. Then the noodles and turkey meat next as they don’t take long to cook. If you prefer your soup with lots of broth be sure to cook your noodles separately as they soak up lots of the broth. Then add them after to the soup or pour your soup over them to serve.
Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup
Using Leftover Turkey bones to make broth and then soup is an easy, cost effective way to make lots of meals in advance! This warm and comforting Turkey Noodle Soup will become a favorite after all your holiday gatherings!
Ingredients
Easy Turkey Bone Broth
- 1 Turkey carcass stripped of meat
- 3 cartons Chicken broth *900ml cartons
- 4 litres Water
- 2 stalks Celery *with leaves *cut into large chunks
- 2 Carrots *cut into large chunks
- 1 Onion, large *quartered
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
Turkey Noodle Soup
- 18 cups Turkey Bone Broth
- 2 Carrots, large chopped
- 2 Celery stalks chopped
- 1 Yellow onion, large diced
- 4 Garlic cloves
- 2 Tbsp Better than Bouillon, Chicken
- 1 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Dried thyme leaves
- 3 Tsp Dried Parsley Flakes
- 1 bag Egg Noodles, 340g bag *I used No Yolks brand
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 6 cups Leftover turkey meat chopped
Instructions
Turkey Bone Broth
-
Pick as much meat off the bones as possible and split the bones apart, placing into a large stock pot. Add the chicken stock and top with water making sure all the bones are submerged.
-
Place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to keep at a simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes skimming off any foam and fat that accumulates. After there is no more foam add celery, carrots, onion, bay leaves and salt. Simmer for approximately 2 hours covered or with lid just slightly open.
-
Strain out all bones and vegetables to throw away and keep all that wonderful broth for some excellent turkey soup!
Turkey Noodle Soup
-
Using the broth from above bring or keep at a slow simmer. Add all ingredients EXCEPT for the egg noodles and turkey meat and simmer for 10 minutes until the carrots are starting to get softer.
-
Then add egg noodles and chopped up turkey meat for an additional 10 minutes until vegetables and noodles are both tender.
-
Enjoy immediately or soup will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Soup can be ladled into containers and frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
*The egg noodles soak up a lot of the broth, if you prefer to boil them separately then add to the broth that is good too!
I put the broth in the refrigerator overnight, then skim off all of the fat before making the soup. Its the only way to get all of the fat out.
Great Idea!