Day-After-Thanksgiving Turkey Carcass Soup

Rating: 4.47 stars
255 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 162
  • 4 star values: 66
  • 3 star values: 15
  • 2 star values: 9
  • 1 star values: 3

This easy and delicious turkey soup is made using leftovers from Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. I usually make cornbread muffins to serve with it.

By Beverly Burton

Gallery
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Recipe Summary

prep:
20 mins
cook:
1 hr 25 mins
total:
1 hr 45 mins
Servings:
10
Yield:
10 servings
Nutrition Info
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Ingredients

10
Original recipe yields 10 servings
The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

Directions

  • Place the turkey carcass in a large, deep pot, and add the stuffing, celery, carrots, onion, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, sage, and chicken broth. Pour in additional water if needed to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium, and simmer for about 1 hour, skimming off any foam. Remove the carcass and any bones. Pick any meat off and return to the pot, discarding bones and skin.

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  • Season to taste with garlic salt and pepper. Stir in the rice and return to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the peas, and continue to simmer until rice is tender, about 10 minutes more. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:
370 calories; protein 11.5g 23% DV; carbohydrates 63.8g 21% DV; fat 7g 11% DV; cholesterol 17.4mg 6% DV; sodium 1549.7mg 62% DV. Full Nutrition

Reviews (207)

Read More Reviews

Most helpful positive review

LML
Rating: 5 stars
11/23/2007
I made this soup this morning and we just had it for lunch. I followed the recipe exactly except for the peas (didn't have any on hand) but next time will be sure to add those. This soup is so great!! Everyone loves it and several people had seconds - the flavors are excellent and we really like how the stuffing adds another dimension to the soup. Definitely a keeper - next time I'll probably cut back on the rice by about 1/2 cup - the proportion of rice to other ingredients was a little heavy. Thanks for an awesome recipe!! Read More
Helpful
(152)

Most helpful critical review

Thisni Caza
Rating: 2 stars
05/12/2008
The flavor is OK but the consistency is that of a rice casserole. I thought two cups of rice was a lot. Maybe I did something wrong. (I don't think so.) I followed the recipe except that I didn't have any sage (but my dressing had a lot) and I forgot to add the peas. I didn't follow the methods as I didn't want to cook my fresh veggies for an hour and a half which can render them essentially flavorless not to mention mushy. I cooked the turkey bones and broth; removed the bones strained the broth then addeded the stuffing veggies and rice. Anyway the idea of using stuffing and rice is a novel use of leftover stuffing and does taste good. If I try this recipe again I would not use (canned) chicken broth due to the high sodium content and because simmering the turkey bones is basically making stock anyway. Read More
Helpful
(140)
255 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 162
  • 4 star values: 66
  • 3 star values: 15
  • 2 star values: 9
  • 1 star values: 3
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
LML
Rating: 5 stars
11/23/2007
I made this soup this morning and we just had it for lunch. I followed the recipe exactly except for the peas (didn't have any on hand) but next time will be sure to add those. This soup is so great!! Everyone loves it and several people had seconds - the flavors are excellent and we really like how the stuffing adds another dimension to the soup. Definitely a keeper - next time I'll probably cut back on the rice by about 1/2 cup - the proportion of rice to other ingredients was a little heavy. Thanks for an awesome recipe!! Read More
Helpful
(152)
Thisni Caza
Rating: 2 stars
05/12/2008
The flavor is OK but the consistency is that of a rice casserole. I thought two cups of rice was a lot. Maybe I did something wrong. (I don't think so.) I followed the recipe except that I didn't have any sage (but my dressing had a lot) and I forgot to add the peas. I didn't follow the methods as I didn't want to cook my fresh veggies for an hour and a half which can render them essentially flavorless not to mention mushy. I cooked the turkey bones and broth; removed the bones strained the broth then addeded the stuffing veggies and rice. Anyway the idea of using stuffing and rice is a novel use of leftover stuffing and does taste good. If I try this recipe again I would not use (canned) chicken broth due to the high sodium content and because simmering the turkey bones is basically making stock anyway. Read More
Helpful
(140)
Richard
Rating: 5 stars
11/24/2007
my mother made this soup every year for 40 years only change instead of chicken broth water and carcess make an excellent broth and add the leftover gravy! YUMMY!!! Read More
Helpful
(128)
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Johanna WISHES she were a
Rating: 5 stars
11/30/2007
This soup was great; kids ages 7 & 9 loved it so did husband. This made about 12 servings so I'll have some to freeze. I took another reviewer's suggestion and roasted the turkey bones at 400F turning every 15 mins until they browned. The cornbread dressing added a nice texture. I had brined my turkey and then roasted it the following inside: 1 sliced red apple 1/2 of an onion (sliced) 2 tsp poultry seasoning 2 tsp sage 1 tbsp rosemary and a cinnamon stick. The spices gave the broth a wonderful flavor. I also added 1/2 package wide egg noodles during the last 15 mins of cooking. I will keep this recipe with my Thanksgiving collection and make it again at Christmas. Thanks for posting! Read More
Helpful
(49)
SLJ6
Rating: 5 stars
12/01/2010
This is so delicious and very similar to a recipe that my step-MIL makes. I used a box of mixed frozen veggies (carrots peas corn and grean beans) I also added some leftover gravey extra poultry seasoning sage and thyme. I decreased the rice to 1/2c. When I was cooking down the carcass I covered that with just water in a huge pot and simmered that for a good 4 hours until all the meat fell off the bones and the everything kinda fell apart. I added 4 chicken boullion packets to this. After this was done I strained all of my turkey broth in to another big pot added a carton (4c.) of low sodium/fat free chicken broth all of the meat that I shredded and picked over the veggies seasonings stuffing etc.....This made a HUGE pot of soup....way to chock full of meat and veggies to eat as is....So I am packing and freezing this as is and when reheating I will add more chicken broth to "thin" out this wonderful soup. I love the stuffing in this.....tastes like thanksgiving in a bowl. Thank you! PS...this is my first time ever boiling down a carcass and making soup and one thing that I think is really important is to serioulsy pick over and feel that there is no little bones membranes grissel and or fat or skin in this soup. Take the time...it is worth it.:) Read More
Helpful
(36)
pengyou
Rating: 5 stars
11/26/2007
I just made this soup but didn't have any stuffing. I'm sure it would have been better with the stuffing but it was still great with lots of taste! It's a keeper! Read More
Helpful
(30)
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sahm
Rating: 5 stars
11/29/2008
I used mostly water instead of chicken stock but added some of the leftover gravy to thicken it up. Fantastic. My family is still talking about it from last year and are looking forward to me making it again tonight. Read More
Helpful
(30)
Bander1301
Rating: 2 stars
12/02/2011
The picture looks great but is clearly noodles not rice. Is this the correct recipe? Read More
Helpful
(25)
~TAYLOR~
Rating: 3 stars
11/29/2007
Between the poultry seasoning and the stuffing there was way too much depth of flavor going on here for our tastes. I'll be looking for another recipe next year. Thank you anyway. Read More
Helpful
(23)
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