Leftover Turkey Soup
Turn Thanksgiving extras into a hearty, flavorful leftover turkey soup! Tender turkey, aromatic veggies, herbs, and Parmesan create rich depth, while couscous adds light texture. Quick, easy, and perfect for post-holiday meals or any winter evening!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large carrots cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 rib celery cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 4-inch sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups turkey stock
- 1 4-inch piece Parmesan cheese rind (available in most grocery stores)
- 1 cup traditional pearled couscous
- 3 cups leftover shredded turkey
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve
Instructions
- In a 6-quart stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it is translucent, 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until it is fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, salt, and black pepper. Stir to coat the vegetables in the butter.2 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic, 2 large carrots, 1 rib celery, 3 bay leaves, 3 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 4-inch sprig fresh rosemary, 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Add the stock and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil and cook for 10 minutes to soften the vegetables. Reduce to a simmer and add the couscous and turkey. Cook until the cous cous is tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove the sprigs of rosemary and thyme and the parmesan rind. Add the parsley and top with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.6 cups turkey stock, 1 4-inch piece Parmesan cheese rind (available in most grocery stores), 1 cup traditional pearled couscous, 3 cups leftover shredded turkey, ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Video
Notes
Be mindful of the size of the carrot and celery when chopping. You don't want them to melt into the soup completely, but they should still soften. Pieces that are ¼- to ½-inch in length work best.
Use fresh herbs in this dish. Fresh herbs always provide more flavor, and their essential oils break down well into the soup, allowing for a more robust and delicious soup.
Remove any skin from the turkey before adding it to the soup. While delicious, the skin doesn't soak up the soup's flavors nicely. Instead, it becomes rigid and distracting in the dish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 336kcal