Thanksgiving Leftovers Soup
All the deliciousness of Thanksgiving dinner, tucked into one cozy bowl of soup…and ready before you can decide who gets the last piece of pie!
When I first came up with this idea, I thought it was either going to be a soupy disaster or one of my best brainstorms EVER. Happily for all of us, it was the second one!
This is not the classic leftover turkey soup you make slowly and lovingly with the turkey carcass (although that one is wonderful too). This is its speedy, Thanksgiving-leftovers-loving cousin.
Leftover gravy and chicken broth make a flavorful base, mashed potatoes thicken everything up, and stuffing, turkey and veggies turn it into a whole holiday feast in soup form. So make sure you nab your fair share of leftovers before somebody packs them into their Tupperware!
Jump to:
- 🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- ⭐ Why this recipe works
- 🦃 Ingredients you need
- 📝 Ingredient notes
- 💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
- 👩🍳 How to make this recipe
- 🤔 Recipe FAQs
- 🍲 Equipment you need
- 🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
- 🍲 Let’s make it!
- Thanksgiving Leftovers Soup
- 💫 Variations you can try
- 🥘 More Thanksgiving leftovers recipes to love!
- 💬 Tell us what you think!
- 💌 Let’s keep in touch!
🔎 A quick look at this recipe
What It Is: A cozy soup made with Thanksgiving leftovers.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: See recipe card for nutritional information.
Method: Stovetop
Good For: Using up Thanksgiving leftovers!
⭐ Why this recipe works
- 🦃 Thanksgiving all over again: Every spoonful has turkey, stuffing, gravy and those wonderful holiday flavors.
- 🥔 Mashed potatoes do the thickening: They make the broth hearty without any extra flour or cream.
- ⏰ Fast and fabulous: Just 15 minutes total according to the recipe card, and everything cooks in one pot.
- 🥕 Flexible leftovers: Peas, carrots and other cooked vegetables are all invited to this particular party.
🦃 Ingredients you need
📝 Ingredient notes
- Turkey: You need 2 cups of cooked, shredded turkey. White meat, dark meat or a combination are all welcome.
- Gravy: One cup gives this soup its Thanksgiving flavor. Leftover gravy is wonderful, but jarred gravy works if yours has disappeared.
- Mashed potatoes: One cup is the secret to a thick, comforting broth. Prepared mashed potatoes from the grocery store are a fine backup.
- Stuffing: One cup of already prepared stuffing goes right into the pot, where a few soft pieces turn into delicious little dumpling-like bites.
- Vegetables: Use a cup of cooked leftovers, such as peas, carrots or Brussels sprouts.
- Chicken broth and poultry seasoning: Two cups of broth and a teaspoon of seasoning round out the soup; taste before adding extra salt because gravy and stuffing can already be salty.
💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
Missing something or want to swap in something different? Check out the links below to find more ingredient substitution ideas. 👇🏻
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
👩🍳 How to make this recipe
You are three easy steps away from Thanksgiving dinner in a bowl! Everything is already cooked, so we are simply warming it up and bringing those wonderful flavors together.
STEP 1: Put the gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, chicken broth and poultry seasoning in a medium pot and stir until combined.
STEP 2: Heat the soup over medium high heat until it is simmering, smooshing the mashed potatoes and stuffing with the back of a wooden spoon to break them up. Don’t worry if you have a few stuffing or potato lumps here and there – they are like little dumplings!
STEP 3: Stir in the veggies and turkey and continue to simmer until heated through. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls, serve it up and re-live your Thanksgiving supper!
And that is IT. A whole Thanksgiving encore without another mountain of dishes. I call that a holiday miracle!
🤔 Recipe FAQs
I would skip the cranberry sauce in the pot, but I would definitely serve it on the side, maybe slathered on a butter biscuit!
Absolutely! Both work beautifully, so use whatever cooked turkey you have left.
Stir in a little extra chicken broth until it is just the way you like it. The mashed potatoes and stuffing will make this a naturally hearty soup.
Because it starts with cooked leftovers, count the storage time from when those leftovers were first cooked, not from when you made the soup. Refrigerate promptly and use cooked turkey leftovers within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them.
Pop your question in the comments section below and I will answer pronto!
🍲 Equipment you need
All you need is a medium pot, a wooden spoon for stirring and smooshing those potatoes and stuffing, and a ladle for serving. One pot, minimal cleanup…music to my post-Thanksgiving ears!
It’s a Thanksgiving miracle! As long as you are sure to nab all the necessary ingredients before they go into someone else’s Tupperware, if you know what I mean.
🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
This is practically the whole Thanksgiving dinner in one bowl, but if you are in the mood for a little something alongside, a warm butter biscuit is perfect for dipping. So is Irish brown bread, cream cheese biscuits or a hunk of homemade country style bread.
🍲 Let’s make it!
Ready for the easiest encore your Thanksgiving turkey has ever had? Gather that gravy, those mashed potatoes, the stuffing and the turkey before anyone claims them for a sandwich. Stir everything together in one pot, let it get nice and hot, and you will have a rich, cozy bowl of Thanksgiving goodness with hardly any effort. The full ingredient amounts and instructions are right here in the recipe card!
Thanksgiving Leftovers Soup
Enjoy the holiday feast all over again with this quick and hearty Thanksgiving leftovers soup. It’s comfort food to the max!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup leftover gravy
- 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes
- 1 cup leftover prepared stuffing
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 cup leftover vegetables (carrots, peas, etc)
- 2 cups leftover cooked turkey, shredded into bite sized pieces
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Put the gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, chicken broth and poultry seasoning in a medium pot and stir until combined.
- Heat the soup over medium high heat until it is simmering, smooshing the mashed potatoes and stuffing with the back of a wooden spoon to break them up. Don’t worry if you have a few stuffing or potato lumps here and there – they are like little dumplings!
- Stir in the veggies and turkey and continue to simmer until heated through.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls, serve it up and re-live your Thanksgiving supper!
Notes
-
- Turkey: Both light and dark meat will work just fine for this recipe.
-
- Gravy: This is important for the taste, so if you didn’t nab some after the Big Meal, the jarred kind is perfectly okay.
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- Leftover Veggies: You can use whatever you have on hand – carrots, peas, Brussels sprouts, etc etc. Get creative!
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- Mashed Potatoes: These are ESSENTIAL to the flavor and texture, so if you didn’t get your fair share, you can either make them or pick up some already prepared mashies in the dairy section of your grocery store.
💫 Variations you can try
- 🥕 Veggie surprise: Use any combination of leftover cooked peas, carrots or other vegetables you love.
- 🦃 Mix up the turkey: Combine light and dark meat for a little bit of everything.
- 🥣 Make it soupier: Add a splash more chicken broth if your mashed potatoes and stuffing make it extra thick.
- 🌿 Season to taste: A little extra poultry seasoning can add more holiday flavor, but taste first.
🥘 More Thanksgiving leftovers recipes to love!
Still staring at a fridge full of Thanksgiving treasures? Turn your turkey into Grandma’s leftover turkey soup or a cozy turkey pot pie with savory crumble topping. Put the whole feast to work in Thanksgiving casserole, or give those leftover potatoes a starring role with mashed potato gnocchi. I love a holiday that keeps on giving!
Need even more holiday ideas? Browse our complete Thanksgiving recipe collection!
💬 Tell us what you think!
Did you turn your leftovers into a cozy bowl of soup, and did you sneak in any surprise side dishes? I want to hear every delicious detail! If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! Leave a star rating and tell us all about it in the comments section below.
💌 Let’s keep in touch!
If easy comfort food, a little kitchen storytelling and the occasional enthusiastic mention of bacon sound like your kind of thing, come join us! Sign up for the Framed Cooks newsletter here. I would love to see you around our kitchen table!
I’m making this
Turkey
Stuffing
Green Beans casserole
Gravy
And broth
It’s really good
Thank you for the idea
And Mac n cheese
Hi Melinda and I am so glad you are trying this. I would love to know how the mac and cheese does in this soup – i’ve never tried it with mac and cheese! :)
Would leftover corn casserole give it an odd texture?
Hi Sabrina! I think it should be fine…like stuffing, if the casserole is dense/breadlike you might end up with little chunks that are like dumplings. If you are okay with that (I love the stuffing/dumpling texture myself) then I think it will be great!
Wonderful idea, we love this soup. It’s flexible too – I had less gravy leftover so I used more chicken stock, and it was still delicious. I especially liked using mashed potatoes as thickener – much more appealing texture than corn starch. Served it with biscuits right out of the oven. I’ll definitely be making this again next year!
Hi Robin and I know! It’s almost as good as Thanksgiving dinner itself (and a lot calmer – ha!) Good thinking on the chicken broth, and of course biscuits are the best thing to have with this soup. Hope your holidays are merry ones! :)
Holy cow, I didn’t realize other people do this! Great idea, thanks for posting this one – there isn’t anything that was on the TDay table that can’t land into a pot of soup!
Hi Maria and hurray! As much as I love Thanksgiving, I love the leftovers the best, especially in this soup! :)
Very good. I may try to freeze the leftovers, thicken the mix, and use it for a turkey pot pie.
Hi Pam and thanks for this note. I love the idea of using it for a turkey pot pie. :)