This quick and delicious leftover turkey soup is an easy, budget-friendly recipe using all Thanksgiving leftovers. Packed with veggies, turkey, and rice, this soup is true comfort food in under 30 minutes. Use the whole carcass for additional flavor, or not. Either way, you will love this warm and savory soup.
What Makes This Recipe Great
I’m one of those people who just isn’t a huge fan of turkey on the day of the Thanksgiving feast. But for some reason, I always love all the leftovers–leftover Thanksgiving turkey included! I just love making casseroles, dips, soups, and salads– basically all the leftover turkey recipes– way more than eating it on its own.
After Thanksgiving, I always end up making an easy turkey soup recipe with leftover turkey meat. It’s just so comforting and delicious, has the best flavor, and most importantly, it’s SO quick and easy when I’m sick of cooking.
I’ve made many kinds of “leftover soup” for years, but this Instant Pot Leftover Turkey Soup might be my favorite. It’s the perfect texture and has the best flavor from the addition of veggies, rice, and lemon juice.
Make this tender turkey soup in your Instant Pot by pressure cooking or using the stovetop method. Both turn out great! It’s a great recipe that the whole family will love. Plus, it’s perfect for a cold day and the perfect way to use up all those Thanksgiving dinner leftovers!
Watch Instant Pot Turkey Soup Recipe Video
Ingredient Notes
For a full list of ingredients, jump to the recipe card below.
You probably have all the ingredients for this leftover turkey soup after all the cooking you did over the holidays. It’s a simple and budget-friendly list of ingredients that come together to make the most delicious soup.
- Cooked Turkey Meat: You can use white or dark meat or a mixture of both! You can also make this recipe with leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or cooked chicken breasts!
- Turkey Carcass or Bones: This is completely optional, but I highly recommend you add it if you have it on hand. It’ll make a delicious leftover turkey carcass soup with amazing flavors. It also makes homemade turkey stock/turkey broth in the process!
- Ghee: I love using ghee for my cooking, but you can use any cooking oil you have on hand. If using ghee, you can make your own or this is my favorite brand to purchase.
- Veggies: Diced onion, celery, carrots, and minced garlic– you could even throw in green beans if you want!
- Thyme: I love the flavor of fresh thyme but you can use 1/3 amount of dried thyme instead.
- Chicken Broth: Water can be used instead of you end up using turkey carcass. The bones will add enough flavor to the water.
- White Rice: This is another optional ingredient. If you are making paleo or Whole30 soup, you can just omit this. You can also use brown rice or a wild rice blend if preferred.
- Fresh Herbs & Spices: Salt, ground black pepper, and fresh parsley.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is best, but you can use a bottle of lemon juice if you’re in a pinch.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Instant Pot Turkey Soup
- Remove turkey meat from the bones and dice it until you have 2 cups. If available, save the bones to add to the soup.
- Turn on your Instant Pot pressure cooker to sauté and melt ghee (or your favorite cooking oil) into the pot.
- Add the carrot, celery, and onion, and cook stirring for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic and thyme, and cook stirring for 1 minute.
- Turn off the Instant Pot, then add the turkey, any turkey bones (if using), chicken broth (or water if adding bones), rice, salt, and pepper.
- Stir together, then secure the lid. Cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. Once it beeps to a finish, release pressure naturally for 10 minutes. Manually release remaining pressure.
- Squeeze in lemon juice and remove any turkey carcass and bones. Taste to add more salt if needed.
Leftover Turkey Soup Stovetop Method
- Remove turkey meat from the bones and dice it until you have 2 cups. If available, save the bones to add to the soup.
- Warm a stockpot or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and melt ghee or your favorite cooking oil.
- Add the carrot, celery, and onion, and cook stirring for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic and thyme, and cook stirring for 1 minute.
- Into the same pot, add turkey, any turkey bones (if using), chicken broth (or water if adding bones), rice (if using), salt, and pepper.
- Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- Squeeze in lemon juice and remove any turkey carcass and bones. Taste to add more salt if needed.
Tips & Tricks
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing: This recipe freezes really well. However, I recommend freezing it without the rice. Store it in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat once thawed. When ready to serve, make fresh rice and add it to the soup.
Serving: Serve in a bowl, sprinkled with fresh parsley or these air fryer biscuits! You can even add a scoop of mashed potatoes for an extra filling soup. You can also make a fresh batch of egg noodles to serve it over if desired.
Swaps: Feel free to use this Instant Pot turkey soup recipe with a whole chicken instead. Follow all the same instructions and swap in chicken instead of turkey.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can easily make grain-free Whole30 soup by omitting the rice. If going this route, reduce the broth or water by 1 cup and cook it the same exact way.
You don’t need it, but it adds so much flavor! If you don’t have the turkey carcass make sure to add chicken broth or bone broth, instead of water, when making the soup.
Yes. Since dried thyme is more potent in flavor, use 1/3 the amount of fresh thyme.
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Easy Leftover Turkey Soup Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked turkey meat white and/or dark meat
- Optional: any turkey carcass or bones
- 1 tbsp ghee or your favorite cooking oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 5 cups chicken broth or water, if using bones (use 6 cups if adding rice)
- Optional: 1/2 cup white rice omit for paleo & Whole30
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
Instant Pot Turkey Soup
- Remove turkey meat from the bones and dice it until you have 2 cups. If available, save the bones to add to the soup.2 cups cooked turkey meat
- Turn on Instant Pot to Sauté and add ghee into the pot.1 tbsp ghee
- Once hot, add onion, celery, and carrots, and cook stirring for 5 minutes until softened.1 onion, 2 celery stalks, 2 carrots
- Add garlic and thyme, and stir for 1 minute.4 garlic cloves, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Turn off the Instant Pot, then add turkey, any turkey bones (if using), chicken broth (or water if adding bones), rice (if using), salt and pepper.2 cups cooked turkey meat, Optional: any turkey carcass or bones, 5 cups chicken broth, Optional: 1/2 cup white rice, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Stir together, then secure the lid. Cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. Once it beeps to a finish, release pressure naturally for 10 minutes. Manually release remaining pressure.
- Add lemon juice and remove any turkey carcass and bones. Taste to add more salt, if needed.Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Serve in a bowl, sprinkled with parsley.Chopped parsley
Turkey and Rice Soup Stovetop Method
- Remove turkey meat from the bones and dice it until you have 2 cups. If available, save the bones to add to the soup.
- Warm a stockpot or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and melt ghee or your favorite cooking oil.
- Add the carrot, celery, and onion, and cook stirring for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic and thyme, and cook stirring for 1 minute.
- Into the same pot, add turkey, any turkey bones (if using), chicken broth (or water if adding bones), rice (if using), salt, and pepper.
- Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- Squeeze in lemon juice and remove any turkey carcass and bones. Taste to add more salt if needed.
Notes
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My mom isn’t a fan of leftover Thanksgiving Turkey, but that comes from the fact that she’s an immigrant from Southeast Asia. She loved this recipe. It was like having Chao (Vietnamese porriage). She enjoyed it with a spoonful of her homemade spicy chili garlic oil.
Thank you, Great recipe!
You should join this Instant Pot Tips & Recipes Facebook group. I got a lot of new ideas and recipes. highly recommended! Here is a link to the group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/434020724110015/
This was so delicious! Made it yesterday after our (Canadian) Thanksgiving weekend. This will be my go to turkey soup from now on.
Yay! Thank you!! And hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Always happy for another Instant Pot recipe. I’m sure this dish will be a hit in our household. Can’t wait to try it out next week!
Absolutely easy and delicious
Thank you!!
Simple easy and delicious! I added some mushrooms I needed to use before they went bad. Definitely will make this again! ☺️
Can this recipe be doubled and if so, is the cooking time affected?
You can keep the same cooking time!
Turkey soup is delicious! A huge hit with the family and so easy to make. Great recipe.
Thank you so much!
I’m excited to try this recipe out! If I’m starting with pieces of raw turkey, how should I modify the recipe?
It’ll be fine to just add the raw pieces in without changing the cook time.