Leftover Turkey Soup with Orzo - Easy Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe! (2024)

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Katerina

5 from 17 votes

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My Leftover Turkey Soup with orzo and spinach combines all the best Italian flavors in a belly-warming bowl of soup! This hearty and nutritious soup recipe is my favorite way of using leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

Leftover Turkey Soup with Orzo - Easy Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe! (2)

This homestyle turkey soup, brimming with Italian flair and a tangy tomato broth, is ideal for Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. A staple after our family’s holiday gathering, it is the best comfort food. Packed with tender turkey, nutritious veggies, orzo, and herbs, it’s reminiscent of a Tuscan retreat in a bowl. Simple to love, this one-pot soup is hearty, flavorful, and ready in just 30 minutes, drawing inspiration from my easy and delicious Turkey Corn Chowder recipe.

Leftover Turkey Soup with Orzo - Easy Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe! (3)

Turkey Soup Ingredients

  • Olive Oil and Butter: I use both when sautéing the veggies.
  • Onion, Carrots, and Celery: Diced and sautéd with garlic for the soup’s flavor base.
  • Fresh Parsley
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Turkey: You’ll need about four cups of cooked, shredded (or chopped) turkey meat.
  • Tomato Paste & Diced Tomatoes
  • Herbs: A combination of thyme, oregano, and rosemary, and throw in a bay leaf for flavor.
  • Broth: Use your choice of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth.
  • Orzo: This is a type of small pasta that looks a lot like long-grain rice.
  • Spinach: Baby spinach is full of nutrients and softens up easily.

How to Make Leftover Turkey Soup

Leftover Turkey Soup with Orzo - Easy Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe! (4)
Leftover Turkey Soup with Orzo - Easy Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe! (5)
  1. Sauté: Warm up the olive oil and butter in a large pot. Stir in the diced onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Add Turkey: Toss in your shredded leftover turkey to cook for a couple of minutes.
  3. Combine: Stir in the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and herbs. Add the broth, orzo pasta, and a bay leaf.
  4. Cook: Bring the soup to a boil, then leave it to simmer over low heat. It should take about 10 minutes for the orzo to become tender.
  5. Finish and Serve: Lastly, stir in the baby spinach and give your soup a final seasoning to taste. Fish out the bay leaf, ladle the soup into bowls, and dig in!
Leftover Turkey Soup with Orzo - Easy Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe! (6)

Recipe Tips And Variations

  • Use up your veggies. I’ll frequently mix up the ingredients that go into this soup depending on what’s taking up space in my fridge, from adding diced bell peppers to chopped broccoli. Nothing is off-limits.
  • Make chicken orzo soup instead. I make this soup year-round with shredded chicken, too! I’ll use leftover Easy Roast Chickenor a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
  • Make it spicy. If you’re after a soup with a bit of spicy kick, toss in a pinch of crushed red chili flakes.
  • Different pasta.If you don’t have orzo, other good pasta options are rotini, ditalini, fusilli, or rotelli.

Serving Suggestions

Serve a bowl of zesty leftover turkey soup with a side of crusty Focaccia, Skillet Bread, or Naan to soak up that delicious broth. Other easy sides include a fresh green salad or Easy Butternut Squash Salad,Roasted Butternut Squash, Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts, or Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Parsnips, and Carrots.

Leftover Turkey Soup with Orzo - Easy Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe! (7)

Storing and Reheating Soup

Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat leftovers, stir a little extra broth or water into the soup, then warm the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave.

More Leftover Turkey Recipes

  • Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole
  • Leftover Turkey Salad Sandwiches
  • Turkey Corn Chowder
  • Turkey Tetrazzini with Fetuccine
  • Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
  • Leftover Turkey Frittata

Leftover Turkey Soup with Orzo - Easy Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe! (8)

Leftover Turkey Soup

Katerina | Diethood

A hearty Italian-inspired soup recipe loaded with tomatoes, spinach, orzo pasta, and leftover turkey meat.It's the best way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers!

5 from 17 votes

Rate this Recipe!

Servings : 6 servings

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 3 ribs celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4 cups cooked and shredded turkey meat
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 can (14-ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 8 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • cups orzo pasta
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 to 8 ounces baby spinach

Instructions

  • Heat the oil and melt the butter in a Dutch oven or a large stock pot set over medium-high heat.

  • Add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add carrots, celery, garlic, and parsley; season with salt and pepper and continue to sauté for about 3 minutes.

  • Stir in the turkey meat and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

  • Mix in the tomato paste and stir in the canned tomatoes; stir in thyme, oregano, and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes.

  • Add the broth, orzo, and bay leaf; stir to combine and bring the soup to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.

  • Stir in the baby spinach and cook for 1 more minute or until the spinach is wilted.

  • Remove from heat and taste for seasonings. Adjust accordingly.

  • Remove bay leaf and serve.

Notes

  • Use up your vegetables and make this soup with anything from bell peppers to broccoli. It’s an excellent way to clear out your fridge.
  • Try it with chicken. Substitute turkey with shredded roast or rotisserie chicken for year-round enjoyment.
  • Add heat. For spiciness, include some crushed red chili flakes.
  • Switch the pasta. No orzo? Use rotini, ditalini, fusilli, or rotelli instead.
  • To Store: Transfer completely cooled turkey soup to an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for up to 4 days. To reheat, add more liquid, stir, and reheat over medium heat on the stovetop.
  • To Freeze: Make sure the soup is completely cooled. Transfer the soup to large, heavy-duty freezer bags (I divide it into two freezer bags), and freeze it for 3 to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5 cups | Calories: 391 kcal | Carbohydrates: 36 g | Protein: 33 g | Fat: 11 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Cholesterol: 106 mg | Sodium: 287 mg | Potassium: 653 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 3960 IU | Vitamin C: 14.5 mg | Calcium: 69 mg | Iron: 2.8 mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: leftover turkey recipes, thanksgiving leftover recipes, turkey noodle soup

Did you make this recipe?Leave a Rating!

Categories:

  • Dinner Recipes
  • Freezer Friendly Meals
  • Holidays
  • One Pot Meals
  • Quick Dinner Ideas
  • Soups
  • Thanksgiving
Leftover Turkey Soup with Orzo - Easy Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

How long does leftover turkey soup last in the fridge? ›

How long is leftover turkey soup good for? Soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to four days.

Can I use 4 day old turkey in soup? ›

If you cooled your turkey to refrigerator temperature within the 2-3 hour recommendation and then made soup from leftovers and cooled it quickly after you made it, it will be safe for a few more days in the refrigerator. If you didn't cool it quickly and left it on the stove for a few hours, it might not be safe.

How do you make turkey soup less bland? ›

You can add more herbs and different spices to add more flavor to turkey soup, but sometimes a bit of salt is all you need. The other clincher is cooking the carcass low and slow to get as much flavor from the roast turkey as possible. Try sauteeing your vegetables in a bit of olive oil before adding to the soup.

What is orzo soup made of? ›

Main Ingredients
  • Carrots. Diced.
  • Scallions. Also diced.
  • Garlic clove. Freshly minced.
  • Vegetable Broth. Or water will work, too.
  • Olive Oil. Or whatever oil you prefer..
  • Orzo Pasta.
  • Baby Spinach.
  • Kosher salt & Black pepper. To taste.
Mar 12, 2024

Can I eat leftover soup after 5 days? ›

Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.

Can I eat cooked turkey after 5 days? ›

Cooked turkey and other leftovers can be kept in the fridge safely for about three to four days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FoodSafety.gov say. But after that time, "the risk of food poisoning goes up," the Mayo Clinic notes, pointing to the growth of bacteria in refrigerated leftovers.

Is it OK to freeze turkey soup? ›

Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freezer: Turkey Soup can be transferred to an airtight container and frozen for up to 3 months.

How many times can you reheat homemade turkey soup? ›

Also, don't reheat a portion more than once—just take out what you will eat and keep the rest of it cold.

Is it safe to eat turkey soup left out overnight? ›

Food should not be at room temperature for more than two hours. Shallow containers or small amounts of hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator or rapidly chilled in an ice or cold water bath before refrigerating.

How can I deepen my soup flavor? ›

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.

What is the best way to thicken turkey soup? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool. Add a few tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to the bowl and whisk until it's blended smooth. Next, bring the soup to a simmer and add the mixture back to the pot. Pro tip: Don't dump in the entire mixture at once.

Why does my turkey soup taste greasy? ›

It happens. One common error is letting soup boil, not simmer. With boiling, any fat rendered by the meat or bones will be churned back into the broth instead of floating to the top where it can be skimmed off. Broth that has been boiled turns cloudy and has a greasy taste and feel.

Which is healthier orzo or pasta? ›

Is pasta or orzo healthier? Orzo is rice-shaped pasta. Although its appearance resembles grains of rice, orzo is actually made from a specific type of flour called semolina. Since orzo is a type of pasta, the health benefits of orzo and pasta made from the same ingredients are the same.

Is orzo more fattening than rice? ›

Whole-wheat orzo packs more fiber and protein than regular orzo, which makes it the healthier choice. Still, it's fairly high in calories, providing about 50% more calories than an equal serving of white rice. Therefore, be sure to choose a portion size that is appropriate for your health goals ( 2 , 14 ).

What is orzo called in English? ›

Orzo (/ˈɔːrzoʊ, ˈɔːrtsoʊ/; lit. 'barley'; Italian: [ˈɔrdzo]; from Latin hordeum), also known as risoni ( Italian: [riˈzoːni]; "large [grains of] rice"), is a form of short-cut pasta shaped like a large grain of rice.

Can I eat soup after 7 days? ›

A general rule of thumb is that soup can be stored in the refrigerator for about three days, but you should always taste your dish before deciding to reheat. A clear, vegetable-based soup with some acidity, such as tomatoes, may last longer. Chicken soup usually lasts three to five days.

How long does leftover homemade soup last in the fridge? ›

When refrigerated, soup that contains vegetables or meat will stay good for 3–4 days. If you're freezing soup containing vegetables or meat, you can expect that to last for 2–3 months in the freezer.

Can I eat soup after 4 days in the fridge? ›

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), soups and stews containing meat and vegetables will be safe to eat for three to four days if refrigerated. The Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety (CFS) recommends setting your fridge temperature at 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit) or below.

How long can you keep homemade turkey broth in the fridge? ›

Storage: Store turkey broth in the refrigerator and use within 4 days. Freezer: Divide the broth into freezer-safe containers (I like to use 16-ounce glass jars) and leave 1/2-inch head space for expansion. Label and date, then freeze for up to 3 months.

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