Slow Cooker Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup
Easy slow cooker turkey noodle soup recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Great use of Thanksgiving leftover turkey. Full of Italian herbs and egg noodles.
Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do with all that leftover Thanksgiving turkey (Slow Cooker Turkey Breast), but this soup is a great option. After all, you can only eat so many sandwiches! This recipe is similar to my Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup, because they are both simple yet delicious.
How to make slow cooker turkey noodle soup recipe from scratch?
- Sauté vegetables- This includes onions, carrots, celery, garlic.
- Transfer veggies– To crockpot.
- Add other ingredients– This includes broth, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, bay leaf.
- Cover- And cook.
- Mix in remaining ingredients- This includes leftover cooked turkey, egg noodles, frozen corn.
- Cover- And cook.
- Add final touches– Drizzle some lemon juice and garnish with green onions.
What to serve with best homemade turkey soup?
This soup is hearty enough to stand on its own two feet, but you can also add a side or two, such a salad or sandwich.
Breads-
- Dinner rolls
- Crusty or Artisan bread
- Cornbread
- Breadsticks
- Biscuits
- Garlic bread
Soup with carcass vs. Soup without carcass
Using the carcass adds more flavor, but be sure to remove all of it before serving so that you don’t serve dangerously small bone fragments. You can also use the carcass to make really tasty broth to use in this recipe.
What kind of noodles are best for soup?
The best ones are wide egg noodles, but you can use whatever large pasta you prefer. The cooking time may vary.
Do you cook noodles before adding to soup?
No. You must use uncooked noodles for this recipe, otherwise you will have over-cooked, mushy noodles disintegrating into the soup. This also makes it an easier recipe and less pots to clean!
Soup toppings
- Herbs, such as cilantro or basil
- Green onions
- Seeds, such as sunflower seeds
- Bacon bits
- Heavy cream
- Fried wonton strips
Variations for leftover turkey noodle soup
Creamy noodle soup– Add heavy cream or, for a dairy free option, us full-fat coconut milk at the end of cooking. Please note that whatever you add will change the overall flavor slightly.
Try other herbs and seasonings– You can easily change up the flavor of this dish by choosing different spices to toss in. For example, if you want to make it spicy, add in red pepper flakes or cayenne for a fiery kick.
Suit dietary needs- For vegetarian soup, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and switch out the turkey for tofu.
Mix in rice- Use leftover rice and add it into the soup towards the end for a more hearty meal. I suggest substituting the noodles.
Mexican Style- Add in black beans and switch the seasonings to taco seasoning and chili powder, then top with shredded cheese and tortilla strips.
Add more vegetables- In addition to or in stead of the vegetables already in the recipe, you can also add in a variety of veggies, such as bell peppers, broccoli, squash, or potatoes.
Tips and Techniques
Use dry uncooked pasta– Otherwise your pasta will be mushy.
Cooking time may vary- Because different brands of slow cookers have different sealing mechanisms which impacts how long the food needs to be cooked.
How to thicken soup? Use a corn starch slurry to thicken the soup to your desired consistency.
How to make soup thinner? Simply add more water or broth to the soup.
Sautéing vegetables is optional– But highly recommended, because it adds a lot of flavor. However, if you are short on time, this step can be omitted.
Use low sodium broth– Otherwise your soup will be very salty.
Storage
Refrigerator- Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to 2 days. Additional broth will need to be added if eating leftovers next day, because pasta absorbs a lot of the liquid overnight.
Freezer- This is no recommended, because the egg noodles will disintegrate when thawed.
More Slow Cooker Soup Recipes
- Slow Cooker Cream of Asparagus Soup
- Slow Cooker Carrot Soup
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
- Slow Cooker Cream of Broccoli Soup
- Slow Coker Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
- Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup
Slow Cooker Turkey Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter, Unsalted
- 1 cup Onion, Finely chopped
- 3/4 cups Carrots, Peeled, Diced
- 3/4 cups Celery, Diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, Finely minced
- 7-8 cups Chicken broth , Low sodium, Can be replaced with turkey broth if you have that on hand
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Poultry seasoning
- Salt, To taste
- Pepper, To taste
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2-3 cups Leftover cooked turkey, Shredded
- 8 oz. Wide egg noodles, Dry, Uncooked, Can be replaced with rotini pasta
- 1/4 cup Frozen corn, Optional
- 1-2 tbsp Cornstarch, Dissolved in 1-2 tbsp water, Optional, Amount can be adjusted based on your preference
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice, Freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp Green onions, For garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick pan and heat over medium-high heat.
- Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic and saute for a few minutes until garlic is fragrant.
- Transfer these veggies to a large crockpot (6 quart or larger).
- Add broth, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, bay leaf.
- Mix until combined.
- Cover and cook on High heat for about 1.5-2 hours or on Low heat for about 3-4 hours or until veggies are tender to your liking.
- Add the leftover cooked turkey, egg noodles, frozen corn.
- Mix everything together.
- Optional step: This is a broth- based soup and thus, it is supposed to have a thin consistency but if you want to thicken it slightly, mix in cornstarch slurry.
- Cover and cook on High heat for 20-30 minutes or until pasta is tender and cooked through
- Discard the bay leaf.
- Stir in lemon juice and garnish with green onions and enjoy!
Notes
- If you are short on time, you can skip the “sauteing” step and just dump all the ingredients in the slow cooker.
- Read all my tips above.
- Tastes best when served immediately but leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Additional broth will need to be added when reheating because the pasta absorbs a lot of the broth.
