Leftover Turkey Soup

If you’re looking for leftover turkey recipes this Leftover Turkey Soup is possibly the easiest (and tastiest!) option out there. Shredded leftover turkey is cooked in a chicken broth with vegetables and gluten free orzo pasta for a nourishing and delicious meal. Plus I make mine in the slow cooker to make it even more effortless!

If you’ve got a stash of leftover turkey from Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving, you may be wondering what on earth you’re going to do with it.

Making gluten free turkey soup is one of my favourite things to do in those ‘in-between’ days after the Christmas celebrations are over.

Because after a few days (weeks!?) of gorging on Christmas treats, sometimes you want to be able to enjoy something nourishing and a bit lighter.

This easy, slow cooker turkey soup is a great way to cut down on food waste, and pack in a dose of goodness from the chicken bone broth and veggies.

You could even make your own stock from the turkey carcass and use that – it’s great for batch cooking and storing in the freezer for those days you feel run down.

I added gluten free orzo pasta to mine but you could easily use rice or quinoa instead, as well as adding in any leftover veg from the festive season.

And if you have plenty of leftover Christmas turkey to use up and want some more ideas, check out my Leftover Turkey Curry recipe and my Gluten Free Leftovers Pie.

Ingredients

To make this gluten free slow cooker turkey soup you only need a few simple ingredients:

• Onion: Finely chop a brown or red onion.
• Celery: This really adds so much flavour to the soup.
• Carrots: Feel free to add any extra leftover veg, like potatoes and parsnips too.
• Garlic: I use chopped frozen garlic, but you can use garlic paste or fresh minced garlic cloves instead if you like.
• Dried Herbs: I flavoured this soup with thyme and sage. Rosemary also works well.
• Chicken Stock: Always ensure you pick a gluten free one, or make your own from the turkey carcass using my gluten free chicken stock recipe.
• Cooked Turkey: Shred up your leftover, cooked turkey meat – or use chicken if you have that instead.
• Gluten Free Orzo: I used the new Tesco gluten free orzo, you can find a list of gluten free orzo brands or substitute for rice or quinoa instead.

How to Make Leftover Turkey Soup

Here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this leftover turkey soup is to make in the slow cooker. I’ve also included a hob version below.

To make in the slow cooker:

Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery stick. Add the olive oil to a frying pan (or the slow cooker bowl if yours is hob-safe) and place on a low-medium heat.

Fry the chopped vegetables for 5-7 minutes until the veg starts to soften. You can skip this step if you’re short on time but I find it really adds to the flavour!

Remove the veg from the heat and (if using a frying pan) add to the slow cooker pot.

Add the chopped garlic, sage, thyme and chicken stock, stir and then place the lid on.

Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours. After this time, remove the lid and add the shredded turkey (or chicken) and gluten free orzo.

Stir well, place the lid back on and cook for a further 45-60 minutes on high, until the orzo pasta is tender.

Stir and serve straight away. I like to crumble some leftover stuffing on top of mine, along with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

To make on the hob:

Follow the recipe above, but frying the veg and adding everything to a large saucepan. Bring the veg and stock to the boil in a saucepan, then simmer for 30 minutes.

Once the veg is fork-tender, add the shredded turkey and orzo, Simmer for a further 10-15 minutes until the orzo is cooked through.

Storing and Freezing

This leftover turkey soup is great for batch cooking and freezing! Any leftovers can be portioned up and left to cool before popping in the fridge for 2-3 days.

To freeze, pop the containers in the freezer for up to 6 months and reheat from frozen when you need a nourishing meal.

Always reheat the soup thoroughly before eating, whether from frozen or fresh.

If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. You can also share your creations in my Facebook group! And please do leave a 5* review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me and really helps support my website.