We all know that one of the best things about Thanksgiving is that turkey sandwich you make with the leftovers the next day. But there’s so much more you can do with the turkey—and even the turkey carcass. One of the best ways to use up every bit of turkey deliciousness is to make turkey soup, along with turkey stock that can be used for much more.

Both are easy to make, so those without any experience making homemade turkey stock can become pros their first time making it.

Let’s start with preparing your turkey leftovers. If you just want to make turkey stock we’ve got those instruction next, and after that we’ll cover our turkey soup recipe with its own approach to making the stock, followed by our favorite variations.

How to Prepare the Turkey Carcass for Soup or Stock

Remove any stuffing and transfer it to a baking dish.

Discard the skin. You don’t need it for soup, and it doesn’t reheat well.

Break the carcass down into manageable pieces. If you have not already done so when carving, remove the legs and wings. Then break the rest down into 3 or 4 pieces.

Strip the carcass of any remaining meat. You’ll be surprised at how much remains even after carving. You will want at least 1 1/2 cups of diced or shredded meat to make a soup that serves four. The rest you can use for tacos or tetrazzini.

Store the carcass and meat properly. You don’t have to make soup the very next day (you deserve a break after all). Wrapped well and refrigerated, the carcass will keep for up to 4 days, as will any meat.

How to Make Turkey Stock

Turkey stock made with a cooked turkey carcass will have a more subtle flavor than one made with raw bones and meat but is still a great base for a tasty soup.

For the simplest preparation, follow these steps:

1. Put the turkey carcass in a large pot.
2. Cut up 1 large onion, 2 carrots, and 2 celery stalks and add those.
3. Flavor it with 2 sprigs each of parsley and thyme, 8 to 10 whole black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. (You can add more later but go easy at first, especially if using the carcass from a brined turkey.)
4. Cover with cold water by 1 inch, bring to a simmer over medium heat, reduce the heat to a bare simmer, and cook for 2 to 3 hours, skimming the surface occasionally.
5. Remove the carcass pieces and large vegetables from the pot, then strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into another vessel and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Discard the carcass and vegetables.)
6. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or portion and freeze.

To boost flavor, consider one or more of the following:

• If you have saved the raw neck and/or wing tips from preparing your turkey, add that to the pot as well.
• Add the turkey heart or gizzard if you have saved those. (Just don’t add the liver as it will add a funky flavor.)
• For a deeper, rich flavor, consider roasting the vegetables until well browned before adding them to the pot.
• If the stock tastes watery, bring it to a rapid simmer and cook until reduced and the flavor has become more concentrated.

Other Uses for Turkey Stock

Because the stock makes a lot (about 3 ½ quarts) you can use some of it to make soup and the rest to use as you would chicken broth: to make a creamy risotto, to deglaze a pan, or add it in place of water when cooking rice or other grains for a deeper flavor.

How To Make Classic Turkey Soup

Our leftover turkey soup recipe covers a similar process to the turkey stock described above, but we keep going and turn it into a delicious turkey soup right afterwards.

Turkey soup is best when made from both the meat and the bones and scraps of the turkey, but this recipe is flexible. If you’re short on leftovers you don’t need much actual meat for the final soup. And if you didn’t get a whole bird this year and don’t have a carcass leftover, you can still use what you didn’t eat from a boneless turkey breast and any juice, giblets, or leftover homemade gravy.

In addition to the turkey carcass, you'll need the following ingredients.

• 16 cups water
• 2 thinly sliced celery stalks
• 2 diced carrots
• 2 quartered red onions
• 10 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme

Start by making the broth with the turkey bones, skin, and any pieces of meat. Simmer it in the water for 3 to 4 hours -- or until it has reduced to 8 cups. Strain the broth to separate out the bones and inedible portions.

Now, cook the vegetables and meat picked from the bones for around 45 minutes (the carrots should be tender). Put the fresh herbs in for the final 10 minutes of cooking, and season to taste. Our full recipe walks you through each stage of the process.

Turkey Soup Recipe Variations

You can use our leftover turkey soup recipe as the foundation for all kinds of flavorful soups.

Here’s a list of the main elements in our turkey soup recipe that you can change around:

• Turkey meat and any drippings from the roasting pan
• Broth, preferably turkey, but chicken stock or broth will do
• Vegetables, such as diced carrots, celery, onions, peas, or green beans
• Starch, including diced potatoes, egg noodles, rice, pasta, or dumplings
• Seasoning, including salt, pepper, bay leaf, poultry seasoning, or garlic
• If you prefer a thicker soup, you may want thickeners such as flour, corn starch, or arrowroot starch (gluten-free)

Here are some of our favorite variations:

Thick Turkey Soup

Turkey soup, like chicken soup, is most commonly made with a thin broth, but it can be thickened with cream or other thickeners, such as cornstarch, flour, or arrowroot starch as a gluten-free option.

Start by removing 1/4 cup of the soup and putting it into a small glass mixing dish or bowl. Add a spoonful or two of your thickener and whisk or use a fork to blend until it reaches a smooth texture. Now, slowly drizzle the mixture into your pot of soup, stirring continually so that the thickener mixes in nicely. Keep adding little by little, until you reach your desired consistency. You may have to make a few thickening batches to get there, especially if you have a large amount of soup.

Don’t add the thickener directly to the soup without creating a mixture first; the powder will form clumps.

Egg Noodles & Vegetables

Add finely diced carrot, celery, and onion and simmer until tender. (Add other greens, such as spinach or chard, if you like, or some frozen peas.) Then add the cooked turkey meat and heat to warm it through. Add cooked egg noodles and enjoy.

Italian Style

Sauté some garlic and escarole until tender. Add it and canned white beans to some of the stock along with some cooked turkey meat. If you like, finish with a squeeze of lemon.

A Southwestern Spin

Sauté chopped onion with cumin and chile powder and add that to some of the stock along with diced canned tomatoes and the turkey meat. Add some corn kernels and canned black beans. Top with diced avocado and fried tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips and finish with a squeeze of lime.

Ramen-esque

Simmer sliced ginger and whole crushed garlic cloves in some of the simmering stock for 15 minutes then fish them out. Flavor the broth to taste with miso, soy sauce, and a splash of vinegar. Add dried ramen noodles (discarding the spice pack they came with if necessary) and cook till tender. Divide the broth and noodles among bowls and add the turkey meat, a soft-boiled egg, thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms, and sliced scallions. Season to taste with hot sauce.

Ground Turkey Variation

Turkey soup is most commonly made with turkey from the carcass, but ground turkey can work as well. You won’t have the same texture or consistency, but browning the ground turkey in a little oil and seasoning it will help to carry flavor into your soup while providing a similar nutritional value. If you want to make turkey at a time of year when you don’t have whole turkey leftovers on hand, ground turkey is a suitable workaround.

More Turkey Soup Variations To Try

Turkey soup makes a great blank canvas for you to add your own personal touches. Try these other ideas to make it special:

• Adding heavy cream and wild rice for a creamy turkey and rice soup
• Adding one can of tomato paste and Italian seasonings
• If you choose to eat gluten-free, substitute the traditional starch options for one that meets your dietary needs.
• Replacing the potato or rice starch with barley
• Using split peas in place of the starch (precook them a bit since they take awhile) and adding bacon
• Adding one bag of frozen okra, rice, and creole seasonings for a turkey gumbo

You can usually use turkey they same way you would use chicken in soup recipes, so if you have a favorite chicken soup, try making a variation with turkey instead.

How to Store Turkey Soup

Refrigerate any uneaten turkey soup immediately after serving, and reheat well before eating it again. Put the soup into a clean storage container with a lid, and mark the date you first stored it, so you know how long it’s been around.

If you serve the soup with any pieces of bread, crackers, or biscuits, make sure to store these separately, as they won’t be appetizing once they’ve gotten soggy. Some starches, such as potatoes or rice, can also break down over time, so you may want to eat soup with these ingredients right away.

Some people think turkey soup tastes better once it has been reheated, since the herbs and spices continue to do their magic in the soup and deepen the flavor in storage.

How Long Is Leftover Turkey Soup Good For?

Leftover turkey soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you don’t think you’ll eat it before then, consider putting it into the freezer for longer storage.

Can Turkey Soup Be Frozen?

According to the USDA, turkey soup can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. Cool soup before freezing, and leave space in any container for the soup to expand when it freezes. Consider firm, freezer-safe containers made for liquids, or put into gallon freezer bags laid flat for easy storage.

As mentioned above, freezing breaks down starchy ingredients like rice or potatoes in a way you may not like. If you make a large batch of turkey soup and know that you’ll be freezing it ahead of time, leave out the starch and add it later when you reheat the soup. Soup variations with heavy cream or cheese may do the same thing, so you may want to avoid freezing them altogether.

Why Make Turkey Soup This Year?

Turkey isn’t always considered the most creative of Thanksgiving dinner ideas, but what you can do with it afterward is nothing short of innovative. Whether you make something from scratch, with your own turkey broth and fresh herbs, or grab boxed noodles from the pantry, you may find turkey soup the second-best thing you’ll enjoy this holiday season.

Since it stores so well, it’s an ideal way to take a bit of your turkey dinner into the New Year as an easy meal for busy weeknights or anytime you want to warm up with a nourishing soup.