This cream of turkey soup with potatoes and vegetables is a comforting and super delicious way of dealing with leftover turkey.
Either Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey, there are always leftovers. Even if I only cook one turkey leg or a large piece of the turkey breast, I still have leftovers.
And I love them, actually, I plan to cook the leftovers before I even cook the meal. Either a turkey fricassee, a leftover turkey pasta recipe, or this cream of turkey soup, which my children adore.
Creamy soups are always great, they are healthy, quick to make and are a perfect way of using leftovers. Not only meat leftovers, but in most cases vegetable leftovers.
Whenever I find a few carrots or a kohlrabi past their prime in my fridge, I throw them into a pot with some vegetable stock (and maybe some dairy) and make soup...
What does it taste like?
Well, as my son put it, it tastes a little like fricassee, but in the form of a soup. And without the mushrooms, he had to mention that, mushrooms are always offensive to him.
And he's right! So, if you like fricassee, you should definitely make this soup, you will love it!
What do you need?
The stock:
- A good stock is the secret to any good soup, the soup can only be as good as the stock.
- The best stock is homemade stock.
- And this is a great opportunity of making your own stock. If you have leftover turkey you probably have some leftover bones as well.
- And making stock it soooo easy, all you need is time, but there is not much work involved actually.
How to make leftover turkey stock?
- All you have to do is place the bones in a large pot, add one large halved onion, 2-3 carrots, some celery stalks (or 1 piece of celeriac), black peppercorns, salt, bay leaves and some spices like cloves (about 3-4), juniper berries (about 6-7) and allspice berries (about 3-4).
- The last three spices are optional, but absolutely great if you happen to have them.
- Cover with plenty of COLD water, bring to a boil, turn the heat down immediately and simmer very gently for several hours, at least 4 and up to 24 if you are making bone broth.
- Strain the stock well and discard the bones, vegetables, and spices. You can strain the broth a second time through a fine sieve lined with a clean cloth to remove all the impurities.
- You can use the stock immediately or you can let it cool and refrigerate it (for up to 4 days) or freeze it in portions (for months).
- Here are more details about making stock or turkey bone broth.
Can I use bought stock?
- Of course, if you don't want to make your own stock, use good quality chicken stock.
- I assume ready-to-use turkey stock is not really available, but chicken stock is a perfect alternative.
Turkey leftovers:
- I take about two handfuls of shredded meat, between 150 and 350 g/ 3.5 and 12.3 oz, it depends on how much you have and how much you want to use.
- Don't stress about exact measurements in this case.
Vegetables:
- Onion
- Leek, about 150 g/ 3.5 oz, only the white parts.
- 2-3 celery stalks, depending on size or a small piece of celeriac, about 50 g/ 1.8 oz. Celeriac is slightly better in this case, because it is white and it will help the cream of turkey soup retain a pale color. Not mandatory, but nice.
- 2 potatoes, about 250 g/ 8.8 oz.
Tips
- Use very good quality stock, either homemade stock or a very good, tasty brand.
- For a velvety pale soup only use the green parts of the leek and celeriac instead of celery stalks.
- Remove the soup from the heat before you add the heavy cream and egg yolk mixture, don't let the soup cook anymore after this addition.
More turkey leftover recipes:
Quick Fricassee with Leftover Turkey
Vegetable Strudel with Leftover Turkey
PIN IT FOR LATER!
Cream of Turkey Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 1 thick leek only the white part, about 150 g/ 3.5 oz
- 1 piece celeriac about 50 g/ 1.8 oz or 3-4 celery sticks (See note 1)
- 1 small carrot
- 2 potatoes about 250 g/ 8.8 oz
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 750 ml/ 1.6 pints/ 3 ¼ cups chicken or turkey stock
- 250 ml/ ½ pint/ 1 cup milk
- about 250 g/ 8.8 oz/ 2 cups shredded turkey meat See note 2
- 75 ml/ 2.5 fl.oz/ ⅓ cup heavy/double cream
- 1 egg yolk
- a few gratings of nutmeg
- fine sea salt and ground white pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- red peppercorns optional
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion. Halve the leek white lenghtwise and slice the halves thinly. Chop the celery/celeriac, carrot and potatoes into small cubes.
- Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes, adding a splash of water halfway through. Stir often. The vegetables should become softer, but not take any color.
- Add the bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, stock and milk. Cover with a lid leaving a crack open, bring to a boil and simmer softly for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
- Blend the soup.
- Return to the stove and add the shredded turkey. Simmer until the turkey meat is heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Adjust the taste with nutmeg, salt and white pepper.
- In the meantime, whisk together the heavy cream and the egg yolk in a small bowl. Whisk the heavy cream mixture into the soup. Don't let the soup come to a boil anymore.
- Remove from heat, adjust the taste again and stir in the parsley. Sprinkle with a few red peppercorns, is desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Using celeriac and only the white part of the leek keeps the soup pale.
- Between 150 and 350 g/ 3.5 and 12.3 oz are fine, use as much as you have.
angiesrecipes says
A great use of leftover turkey! If my husband only ate soups and turkey :-(( Any cooked veggies are a no-go for him...but I would love to have some!