I would never ditch that leftover turkey from Thanksgiving! No way! I use the extras for this delicious Asian-Inspired Turkey Noodle Soup. Drop the turkey carcass in a pot with carrots, onions, herbs, and spices, and voila -- homemade turkey stock!
Loaded with deliciousness, this leftover turkey soup is also healthy and filling! The ginger, shallots, lime, and touch of heat from the sambal oelek, combined with the turkey meat and bean thread noodles, is one bowl of noodle soup that you'll savor all week long. Slurp away!
Ingredients for turkey noodle soup:
What to do with all that leftover turkey? These simple ingredients and leftover turkey is all you'll need to make this delicious, belly-warming noodle soup with an Asian twist!
- 6 cups homemade turkey stock, or store-bought broth (Learn how to make your own turkey stock.)
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 large carrot
- 2 medium shallots
- 6 thin slices of peeled fresh ginger
- 2 kafir lime leaves (fresh or dried)
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (red chili paste)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- Juice from ½ lime
- 3 ½ ounces bean thread noodles (also known as glass or cellophane noodles)
- 2 cups shredded turkey meat
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- Lime slices to garnish
Don't throw away your leftover turkey carcass! It's so easy to make a homemade turkey stock for this soup! Homemade stock is always more flavorful than store-bought.
How to make homemade turkey stock
- 1 cooked turkey carcass (about 4 pounds), turkey meat mostly removed
- 2 large onions, cut into quarters
- 4 celery stalks, cut into quarters
- 4 large carrots, cut into quarters
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- A bunch of fresh cilantro, stems included
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Place the turkey, onions, celery, and carrots into a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Add enough water to cover the carcass. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
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Reduce heat to a slow simmer. Simmer until reduced by half (about 3 - 3 ½ hours).
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Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and transfer the big bones and vegetables from the stockpot to the strainer. When only small bits remain, pour the stock through the strainer and into the bowl.
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Cool completely and store the turkey stock into several storage containers. If not using immediately, refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Making homemade turkey stock is so easy! Throw it all into the pot and forget about it!
There are so many other ways to use up that leftover turkey, like in this Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Curry with Sweet Potatoes recipe!
This belly-warming turkey noodle soup with homemade turkey stock has layers upon layers of flavor, from the fresh ginger and garlic, to the spicy sambal and dash of fish sauce! This delicious and healthy soup is so perfect for using your leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
Tips & Tricks
- Making homemade turkey stock will always create the best flavors in this soup. But if you need to you can use store-bought turkey broth in a pinch.
- Sambal oelek can be found at most grocery stores in the Asian section and at Asian markets.
- Kafir lime leaves are available at most Asian markets and select grocery stores. The dried version can be found at select grocery stores like Whole Foods. You can also substitute the kafir lime leaves for bay leaves.
- You can freeze any leftover soup for up to 3 months.
Want more?
If you liked this Asian-Inspired Turkey Noodle Soup recipe, you’re going to want these recipes:
- Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Curry with Sweet Potatoes
- Stuffed Peppers with Turkey and Rice
- Easy Spiced Pumpkin Coconut Soup
- Asian-Inspired Matzo Ball Soup
- Miso Chicken Noodle Soup
Suggested wine pairing
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Update Notes: This post was originally published on January 10, 2017, but was republished with slight text changes and additions, like step-by-step instructions and tips in November 2020.
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Asian-Inspired Turkey Noodle Soup
This belly-warming Asian-Inspired Turkey Noodle Soup is made with homemade turkey stock and is so perfect for using your leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
- Total Time: 35
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 6 cups homemade turkey stock (or low-fat chicken broth)
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 2 medium shallots, sliced thinly
- 6 thin slices peeled fresh ginger
- 2 kafir lime leaves (fresh or dried)
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- Juice from ½ lime
- 3 ½ ounces bean thread noodles
- 2 cups shredded turkey meat
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Lime slices to garnish
Instructions
- Place the turkey stock in a large Dutch oven or stock pot, bring to a boil and lower heat to medium. Add in the garlic, carrots, shallots, ginger, and kafir lime leaves. Cover partially and simmer for 5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add in the sambal oelek, fish sauce, and lime juice. Cook another 5 minutes until fragrant. Check for seasoning.
- Meanwhile, pour boiling water over the bean thread noodles in a large bowl and let sit until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain the noodles and set aside.
- Add the turkey meat and cilantro to the soup mixture when ready to serve. Stir for 2 minutes until heated through. Serve the soup by first placing the noodles at the bottom of the bowl, and ladling the soup on top of the noodles. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.
Notes
- Making homemade turkey stock will always create the best flavors in this soup. But if you need to you can use store-bought turkey broth in a pinch.
- Sambal oelek can be found at most grocery stores in the Asian section and at Asian markets.
- Kafir lime leaves are available at most Asian markets and select grocery stores. The dried version can be found at select grocery stores like Whole Foods. You can also substitute the kafir lime leaves for bay leaves.
- You can freeze any leftover soup for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion
- Diet: Low Calorie
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 336
- Sugar: 6.9 g
- Sodium: 1148.5 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.3 g
- Protein: 34.5 g
- Cholesterol: 100.2 mg
Carolyn Green says
I am always looking for recipes to use with my leftover Thanksgiving Turkey! This is an absolutely great one. Thanks for the inspo!
Asian Caucasian says
You're so welcome, Carolyn! We enjoy this leftover turkey soup year after year. It's something to pass down from generation to generation!