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The best part about the weekend after Thanksgiving is using the turkey leftovers for soup. This delicious Turkey Carcass Soup is a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers.
Healthy homemade bone broth is a delicious base for a turkey noodle soup recipe. There are also directions here for an Instant Pot turkey carcass soup!
I always love making homemade turkey soup after a holiday when we make a turkey. Turkey bone broth is always first, because the nutrients in homemade bone broth can’t be beat. You can make the recipes below with a chicken or a turkey carcass–no changes needed.
You can also make this as a pressure cooker or Instant Pot bone broth or turkey soup!
Where’s the recipe?
I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I receive a lot of questions about recipes.
To better serve all of my readers here at My Crazy Good Life, I’ve made a commitment to put a ton of helpful information in all of my posts.
If you’d like to skip over the information about freezing, swapping ingredients, and diet information, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the easy printable homemade turkey carcass soup recipe!
How to make homemade turkey stock
1. Take all of the desirable turkey off your turkey carcass and put it onto a stock pot. I like to put it in the fridge for the soup. If you add the turkey to make the bone broth, I find that it gets a little dry.
If you’re making this in the Instant Pot, add the carcass to your pot. You might have to pull the bones apart a bit to get it to fit, depending on the size of your pot.
2. Add in your veggies, some salt and pepper, and fresh parsley. Dried parsley will work if that’s all you have!
Some people like to add a few teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to the pot in order to help release the nutrients from the bones.
3. Fill your pot with enough water to cover the turkey bones. If you’re leaving the house, add some extra water to account for the evaporation. If you’re sticking around, set a timer to check the stock and add more water. It’s best to keep the bones covered until the broth is finished.
If you’re using your Instant Pot, fill with water to the max fill line.
4. Place your stock pot on the stove top and bring it to a simmer–that means bring to a boil that is just starting to bubble.
If you’re pressure cooking this stock, set it on high pressure for 120 minutes. After it’s done cooking, you can quick release or naturally release–whatever you have time for.
5. Allow the stock to simmer on the stove for 4-6 hours uncovered. You want it at a very slow simmer/boil.
6. Turn off the stove and allow the stock to cool.
7. With a slotted spoon, remove bones and vegetables from stock. Allow the stock to cool completely before adding to mason jars or other containers.
This stock pot and Instant Pot bone broth recipe can be used to make chicken broth as well!
To make Turkey Carcass Soup
1. Add vegetables, spices, turkey, and pasta to a large stock pot or your pressure cooker. Make sure to dice your vegetables small and thin so they cook fast.
2. Add turkey stock. If you didn’t make turkey stock, you can add turkey or chicken broth.
3. Place on the stove and turn heat to medium-high. When soup begins to boil, refer to your pasta package directions to determine how long to boil the soup for. Mine says 7 minutes.
Place on the stove and turn heat to medium-high. When soup begins to boil, refer to your pasta package directions to determine how long to boil the soup for. Mine says 7 minutes.
In the Instant Pot, set the pot to high pressure for half of the cooking time listed on the pasta package. Quick release the pressure when it’s done cooking.
4. After 7 minutes, test one piece of pasta to make sure it’s cooked. If it’s ready, remove from heat and serve.
FAQ’s about this turkey carcass soup and turkey noodle soup
Can the turkey bone broth be frozen?
Absolutely! I don’t like to freeze mine in mason jars because they’ve broken in the past, but I’ve heard that as long as you don’t fill them all the way, they won’t break. I prefer to let my turkey stock cool completely and then I like to freeze it in freezer bags with the amount written on them.
Is bone broth healthy ?
It is, for several reasons. Bone broth contains vitamins and minerals–in animal bones this is usually calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Connective tissue contain glucosamine and chondroitin which benefit joints. Marrow provides several vitamins and minerals as well as omegas.
Bone broth is said to help the digestive system, and many people drink it in the morning instead of coffee!
Bone broth can also help inflammation, joint health, and brain function.
Healthy Eating Plans
21 Day Fix
Chicken and poultry broth is 4 cups for 1/2 red container. Since I don’t often drink 4 cups of broth at a time, I don’t count broth :)
For the entire turkey noodle soup recipe, the container count is 4 green containers, 2 red containers, and 6 yellow containers.
Dividing these numbers by 6 (because that’s how many servings are in the soup) gives us the container count per 1 and 3/4 cup serving: 2/3 green container, 1/3 red container, 1 yellow container.
To increase your green container count, you’ll want to add another two cups of vegetables to the soup. Personally, I’d add 1/2 cup of onions, 1 cup of carrots, and 1 cup of celery or zucchini.
Weight Watchers
For the turkey stock, if you’re drinking it and stick to one cup, it’s free.
For the soup, adding more turkey stock and adding noodles gives you a count of 3 Blue Plan points | 6 Green Plan Points | 0 Purple Plan Points per serving. A serving is about 1 and 3/4 cups.
Healthy Turkey Carcass Soup
Equipment
- Stock Pot
- Kitchen Knife
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
For homemade turkey stock:
- 1 turkey carcass
- 1 onion I used red
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into thirds
- 4 stalks celery I love the ones that have some leaves on them
- 1 tsp salt optional
- 1 tsp black pepper
- parsley a few sprigs
- water
- 2 bay leaves
For Turkey Soup Recipe:
- 2 cups celery diced small
- 1 ½ cups carrots diced small
- ½ cups onion diced
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig sage
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 ½ cups turkey meat
- 1 ½ cups whole grain elbow pasta I used elbows
- 64 ounces chicken broth
Instructions
To make homemade turkey carcass stock:
- Take all of the desirable turkey off your turkey carcass and put it onto a stock pot. I like to put it in the fridge for the soup. If you add the turkey to make the bone broth, I find that it gets a little dry. 1 turkey carcass*If you're making this in the Instant Pot, add the carcass to your pot. You might have to pull the bones apart a bit to get it to fit, depending on the size of your pot.
- Add in your veggies, some salt and pepper, and fresh parsley. Dried parsley will work if that's all you have! 1 onion, 2 carrots, 4 stalks celery, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, parsley
- Fill your pot with enough water to cover the turkey bones. If you're leaving the house, add some extra water to account for the evaporation. If you're sticking around, set a timer to check the stock and add more water. It's best to keep the bones covered until the broth is finished. water*If you're using your Instant Pot, fill with water to the max fill line.
- Place your stock pot on the stove top and bring it to a simmer–that means bring to a boil that is just starting to bubble. *If you're pressure cooking this stock, set it on high pressure for 120 minutes. After it's done cooking, you can quick release or naturally release–whatever you have time for.
- Allow the stock to simmer on the stove for 4-6 hours uncovered. You want it at a very slow simmer/boil.
- Turn off the stove and allow the stock to cool.
- With a slotted spoon, remove bones and vegetables from stock. Allow the stock to cool completely before adding to mason jars or other containers.
To make turkey noodle soup:
- Add vegetables, spices, turkey, and pasta to a large stock pot or your pressure cooker. Make sure to dice your vegetables small and thin so they cook fast. 2 cups celery, 1 ½ cups carrots, ½ cups onion, 1 sprig rosemary, 1 sprig sage, 1 tsp poultry seasoning, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 ½ cups turkey meat, 1 ½ cups whole grain elbow pasta
- Add turkey stock. If you didn't make turkey stock, you can add turkey or chicken broth. 64 ounces chicken broth
- Place on the stove and turn heat to medium-high. When soup begins to boil, refer to your pasta package directions to determine how long to boil the soup for. Mine says 7 minutes. *In the Instant Pot, set the pot to high pressure for half of the cooking time listed on the pasta package. Quick release the pressure when it's done cooking.
- After 7 minutes, test one piece of pasta to make sure it's cooked. If it's ready, remove from heat and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Make This Recipe?
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Homemade turkey stock always intimidated me, but this was so easy! Super delicious and the perfect way to use leftover turkey.
Exactly how I make my soup with the exception of the veggies in the stock pot. I loved this when I made it and it’s lasted us over a week for nice warm lunches. No one ever complains when we serve this that’s for sure.
LOVE this recipe! So perfect for cold, stormy winter days
I found this while I was looking for some healthy soups to kick off the new year. The whole family loved it which is a WIN because now I don’t have to make two meals!
Can you use the veggies that you used to make the bone broth in the soup? If not what do you do with the veggies you put with the carcass to create the broth? I’m a newbie with the IP & we were just given a turkey – seems like a no brainer to me to make some bone broth while we are at it. Thanks for making it so easy by giving great instructions.
Cheri, you absolutely can use them–I choose not to, because I prefer to use fresh veggies in the soup. I tossed the ones I used with the carcass :)
Should you keep a cover on it while simmering?
You don’t have to!