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    Turkey Soup with Rice Noodles

    November 26, 2024

    Let’s talk turkey. As in, what to do with all that leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Our suggestion? This wholesome, body-warming, ginger- and garlic-kissed Asian-inspired turkey soup.

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    leftover Turkey soup with rice noodles and bok choy in a bowl with chopsticks

    Gobble, Gobble Up That Turkey

    We’re just going to say it: Buy the extra big turkey this year. Why, you ask? Because a Tupperware full leftover turkey is one of the most versatile things you can have in your fridge. Leftover Thanksgiving turkey is surprisingly easy to repurpose into something totally new without feeling like you are eating the same thing on repeat.

    large pot of turkey soup with shallots, garlic, ginger, chicken stock, bok choy, mushrooms, fish sauce and rice noodles

    What to Do with All That Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey

    Last year, TMP featured the most delicious Turkey Pozole Rojo recipe, and we definitely plan to make that dish again this year. But we also want to make this soup, so we’re going BIG and making extra (extra, extra) turkey so we can use leftover turkey in all of the things: enchiladas, tacos, a shredded turkey version of our Pumpkin Turkey Chili, and especially this garlic- and ginger-laced Asian inspired turkey soup. A lot of these dishes are great for freezing too, so we’re planning ahead for an extra-cozy winter with these comforting meals all ready to go. For another riff on leftover turkey soup, try our leftover turkey and wild rice soup.

    two bowls of Asian inspired turkey soup using leftover turkey

    But, First! Debone the Turkey …

    Is it weird that we actually really enjoy the art of pulling every last piece of meat off the Roasted Spatchcocked Turkey carcass? Or even weirder still that the kids like to help? Get ready to roll up your sleeves.

    • No really, roll up your sleeves. And put an apron on, too. This could get messy.
    • Gloves? Sure, if you’ve got them. And grab a sharp paring knife while you’re at it.
    • Dig in. It’s WAY easier to pull any remaining meat off the turkey before it’s been refrigerated, so pour yourself another glass of wine and just consider it part of your party clean up. Don’t be afraid to tear the bird apart bone by bone to get lingering pieces of meat off. We like to keep white meat separated from dark meat, but this bit is totally up to you.This turkey vegetable soup uses both, so for the purposes of this recipe, it doesn’t matter.
    • Done and done. Or, if you’ve still got wine in your glass and energy in your body, start the carcass boiling in a pot of water and a mix of garlic, peeled onion, carrots, celery (or any other fresh veggies you’ve still got in the fridge), and salt for Homemade Turkey Stock. You can use either homemade or store-bought stock for this turkey soup recipe.
    two bowls of leftover turkey soup with shallots, garlic, ginger, chicken stock, bok choy, mushrooms and rice noodles
    black bowl with leftover turkey soup with shallots, garlic, ginger, chicken stock, bok choy, mushrooms and rice noodles

    How to Make Turkey Soup from Leftovers

    Once you’ve got the turkey meat off the bone, this easy turkey soup recipe comes together in a flash. Rather than going classic with a traditional chicken-noodle flavor profile, we gave our homemade turkey vegetable soup an Asian flare. Our turkey soup ingredients include shallots, baby bok choy, and a squeeze of fresh lime, and the turkey soup seasoning really pops thanks to the zing of fresh ginger.

    To make turkey soup from scratch:

    1. Sauté shallots, then add garlic and grated ginger. See our note below about using a microplane to grate ginger. It’s a meal-prep game changer.
    2. Add broth, turkey, and veggies. Season with fish sauce and lime.
    3. Finish with rice noodles, and serve. A tip for using rice noodles: if you don’t plan to eat this soup in one sitting, cook the rice noodles separately, rinse them under cold water, scoop into individual bowls, and ladle hot soup on top. Rice noodles quickly turn to mush if they’re left in liquid for too long. You can add them to any leftover soup as-needed.
    large black bowl with leftover turkey soup made with shallots, garlic, ginger, chicken stock, bok choy and rice noodles

    Tools You’ll Need to Make Our Low-Carb Turkey Soup:

    • Stockpot. The bigger your pot, the more soup you can make. We’d seriously recommend doubling this leftover turkey soup recipe if your pot allows it.
    • A microplane grater is indispensable for grating ginger. We don’t even bother peeling our ginger anymore—just run your nub of ginger through the ultra-fine grater.
    • Silicone tongs are handy for distributing rice noodles to individual bowls. We’ve found these work way better for scooping up the rice noodles in this Asian soup than the more traditional pasta spoon.
    large bowl of Asian inspired leftover turkey soup with rice noodles
    two black bowls of leftover turkey soup made with garlic, ginger, bok choy, mushrooms and rice noodles next to pot of soup

    Go Ahead, Buy the EXTRA BIG Turkey

    You’re going to want enough leftovers to make this turkey carcass soup. And enough turkey leftovers to make a few more Thanksgiving leftover favorites, like:

    Ready to Gobble, Gobble Up Your Turkey Soup?

    Did our recipe help you figure out how to make turkey soup from Thanksgiving leftovers? It’s so easy, right? Tag us @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Soup’s on!

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    Turkey Soup with Rice Noodles

    Updated on November 26, 2024

    • Serves:  8
    • Prep Time:  10 min
    • Cook Time:  20 min
    • Calories:  445
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    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • 1 small shallot, finely diced
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 tablespoon grated ginger
    • 2 quarts turkey or chicken stock
    • 3 cups shredded turkey or chicken
    • 2 heads baby bok choy, quartered
    • 6 ounces button mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, oyster, and/or
    • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
    • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime), plus more to taste
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
    • 10 ounces rice noodles

    For serving

    • minced cilantro
    • 2 green onions, chopped
    • Red pepper flakes
    • Sesame seeds

    Method

    1. Heat the sesame oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the shallots and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and grated ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute.

    2. Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the turkey, bok choy, and mushrooms. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and salt.

    3. Add the rice noodles. Cook, stirring, until the noodles are softened, about 2-3 minutes. Taste and add more lime with more lime juice and salt if needed.

    4. Divide the soup between bowls and garnish with cilantro, green onion, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 445
    • Protein 25 g
    • Carbohydrates 68 g
    • Total Fat 8 g
    • Dietary Fiber 1 g
    • Cholesterol 15 mg
    • sodium 921 mg
    • Total Sugars 2 g

    Turkey Soup with Rice Noodles

    Questions & Reviews

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    • Bge

      Just like Jenn said, this was a nice change in flavor from the other leftovers. Made broth on Friday and had this Sunday night. Followed the recipe as written, but used two limes and three heads of baby bok choy.

      Thanks, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Dunn

      I loved this soup. It is delicious. I used onion because I didn't have shallots on hand. I substituted zucchinis got the mushrooms because I am allergic but kept everything else the same. I used my own homemade turkey broth. Thank you for finding a great soup.

      Thank you! We are so happy you loved it!

    • Jenn

      Made this with thanksgiving left over turkey instead of my typical turkey noodle go to and it was so flavorful and delicious. I loved it being a totally different flavor profile then thanksgiving dinner!

      Thank you Jenn! We are so happy you loved it!