Turkey Carcass Soup: the delicious healthy no-waste recipe

Roast turkey makes a wonderful meal, but often we are saddled with leftovers after the feast. Make the most out of your turkey leftovers by making a delicious healthy batch of turkey carcass soup. This simple soup recipe is a clever way to make sure none of your roasted turkey goes to waste and it's packed with healthy veggies, hearty rice, and succulent turkey meat. The secret to this amazing tasting soup is the homemade turkey stock which is made by simmering the turkey carcass with onions, carrots, and celery, plus a handful of herbs and spices. It's the perfect soup to enjoy when the temperature dips and you're in the mood for a mouthwatering soup to keep the cold at bay.

How Long Can I Keep a Turkey Carcass for Making Soup? 

A refrigerated turkey carcass will keep up to 5 to 7 days. If you're planning on cooking turkey soup, be sure to make it within this time frame. A frozen turkey carcass will stay good for up to 6 months.

Is Turkey Carcass Soup Healthy?

Turkey carcass soup is a wonderfully tasty, healthy dish that's full of protein-rich lean turkey meat, nutritious vegetables, and rice. Swap white rice for brown rice to make this delicious soup even healthier.

Tips for Making the Best Turkey Soup 

– For a more intensely flavored stock, reduce the stock after straining out the solids.

– Make sure to remove all the fat before simmering the carcass in water.

– If you love this simple no-waste soup recipe, try it with leftover roast chicken.

– For an even heartier soup, substitute noodles for rice in this recipe.

– If you have an Instant Pot you can use it to make your turkey carcass soup. To make the turkey stock in an Instant Pot, place the ingredients in the pot and set it to Soup. Cook for 25 minutes then let it natural release for 20 minutes, then do a quick release. Strain the solids and place the stock back in the Instant Pot. Add the soup ingredients to the stock. Set the Instant Pot to Soup, cook for 10 minutes, then do a quick release.

– To make a keto-friendly turkey carcass soup, simply leave out the rice and add extra turkey meat.

How to Store and Freeze Turkey Soup

In the fridge, turkey carcass soup will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days. In the freezer, it'll be good to eat for 4 to 6 months. Whichever option you choose, store the soup in freezer-safe containers or bags.

How to Make Turkey Carcass Soup

1. Start by making the turkey stock. Cut the turkey carcass into pieces so that it fits into a large stockpot.
2. Add turkey, onion, carrots, celery, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, and parsley to the pot.
3. Cover with water until the turkey is submerged.
4. Simmer over low heat for 3 to 4 hours.
5. Remove the turkey from the pot. Strain the stock into a clean pot.
6. Now, it's time to make the turkey soup. In a separate clean soup pot, melt butter and saute the onions until soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
7. Stir in celery and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the poultry seasoning and cook for 1 minute.
8. Pour in turkey, broth, and rice, stirring to combine. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the rice and vegetables become soft and tender.

Notes

Skim off any foam that rises to the top when you're simmering the stock.