Turkey Carcass Noodle Soup
The last thing the bird gives you: the roast turkey carcass simmered four hours with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, white wine and herbs into a rich stock, then made into soup with fresh vegetables, pasta shells and the meat picked from the bones.
Edited by JP Lambiase
Change the estimate
Swaps change the price only: cook any meat to its own safe temperature. Where these numbers come from
Turkey soup from the carcass is as old as American cookbooks that bothered to write it down. Fannie Farmer's 1896 "The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book" (page 110) says to break the carcass into pieces, remove all the stuffing, cover it and any leftover bits of meat with cold water, bring it slowly to a boil, simmer two hours, strain, skim the fat and season, adding a stalk or two of celery for flavor (1896 scan:). A century later Cook's Illustrated (November/December 2000) built a richer stock on the same idea, adding white wine, garlic and herbs and simmering about four hours, then turning it into noodle soup (America's Test Kitchen:).
🎬 The full story: 10 Leftover Turkey Recipes From Around the World (One Is a Sitcom Sandwich)
🇺🇸 This one is American
The last thing the bird gives you: the roast turkey carcass simmered four hours with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, white wine and herbs into a rich stock, then made into soup with fresh vegetables, pasta shells and the meat picked from the bones.
🇺🇸 The original
The oldest American leftover recipe here is 1896 scalloped turkey: cold turkey layered with buttered crumbs and gravy and baked. See the Scalloped Turkey (Fannie Farmer, 1896) recipe.
📖 : How Long Do Thanksgiving Leftovers Last? →
Why it works the kitchen science
Roasted bones, long simmer
A roasted carcass already carries browned, savory flavor, and four hours pulls gelatin out of the joints so the stock has body.
Herbs added late
The parsley and thyme sprigs go in for the second half only, so they stay fresh-tasting instead of cooking to nothing.
🧰 You'll need 6 items
Everything the steps call for. Tick off what you have before you start.
Pans and pots
Tools
Step by step
- Step 1
Put the carcass, halved onion, chopped carrot and celery, garlic, wine, bay leaf and water in a 12-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, about 30 minutes, skimming off fat and foam as they rise.
- Step 2
Turn the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 2 hours, skimming now and then.
- Step 3
Add the parsley and thyme sprigs and simmer about 2 hours more, until the stock tastes rich.
✓ What it should look like - Step 4
Strain through a large strainer into a big bowl. Pick the meat off the bones, shred it into bite-size pieces and set it aside; throw away the solids. Let the stock settle 20 minutes and skim the fat. (You can stop here: cool it fast in shallow containers and refrigerate up to 2 days.)
- Step 5
Bring the stock to a simmer in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, celery, thyme and salt, cover and simmer about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.
- Step 6
Add the pasta and the shredded turkey and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the soup is at a full simmer (165°F or hotter).
✓ What it should look like - Step 7
Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper and serve.
Turkey Carcass Noodle Soup
Serves 8 · about 3 quarts · 5 hr 30 min total
Stock
- 1 turkey carcass from a 12 to 14 lb bird, stuffing removed, cut into 4 or 5 pieces
- 1 large onion, peeled and halved
- 1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 large celery rib, coarsely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed (unpeeled)
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 1/2 quarts water
- 5 sprigs fresh parsley
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
Soup
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1 large celery rib, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
- 1 tsp table salt
- 2 1/2 cups medium pasta shells
- Turkey meat picked from the carcass
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- Black pepper to taste
Equipment: Dutch oven, Large pot, Chef's knife and cutting board, Measuring cups and spoons, Mixing bowls, Fine-mesh strainer
Method
- Put the carcass, halved onion, chopped carrot and celery, garlic, wine, bay leaf and water in a 12-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, about 30 minutes, skimming off fat and foam as they rise.
- Turn the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 2 hours, skimming now and then.
- Add the parsley and thyme sprigs and simmer about 2 hours more, until the stock tastes rich.
- Strain through a large strainer into a big bowl. Pick the meat off the bones, shred it into bite-size pieces and set it aside; throw away the solids. Let the stock settle 20 minutes and skim the fat. (You can stop here: cool it fast in shallow containers and refrigerate up to 2 days.)
- Bring the stock to a simmer in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, celery, thyme and salt, cover and simmer about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.
- Add the pasta and the shredded turkey and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the soup is at a full simmer (165°F or hotter).
- Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper and serve.
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen (Cook's Illustrated, November/December 2000), "Turkey Noodle Soup", as written (ATK says 8 to 10 servings; we call it 8). We use 2 1/2 cups of shells, inside ATK's 2 to 3 cups. ATK gives no amount for the turkey picked from the bones; the 2 cups in the calorie table is our estimate. The 165°F check is ours, from UGA Extension. Fannie Farmer's 1896 turkey soup is quoted in the Story for comparison. America's Test Kitchen. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (2)
Tips
- Make the stock the day after Thanksgiving, while the leftover clock is running, and freeze what you don't need.
- Cook the pasta in the soup only for what you will eat today; pasta keeps soaking up broth in the fridge. For leftovers, cook the pasta separately.
- Skim well; roasted carcasses give off a lot of fat.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Stock needs four hours. Disputed: Cook's Illustrated simmers about four hours; Fannie Farmer's 1896 recipe simmers two; Andrea Nguyen's pho broth (our Leftover Turkey Pho recipe) simmers 75 minutes.
- Start bones in cold water. Documented for both: Farmer's 1896 recipe says to cover the carcass with cold water and bring it slowly to the boiling point, and ATK puts the carcass and water in the pot together before bringing them to a boil.
- Never boil stock or it turns cloudy. Folklore as a rule: ATK brings it to a boil and then simmers; roasted bones give some cloudiness either way.
- Take the stuffing out first. Documented (Farmer: "removing all stuffing"); it would cloud the stock and the carcass should not be stored with stuffing inside (UGA Extension: refrigerate stuffing separately).
Every other leftover turkey recipe
Scalloped Turkey (Fannie Farmer, 1896)
The oldest American leftover-turkey casserole we found in print: cold roast turkey in a simple white sauce made with stock from the bones, between layers of buttered cracker crumbs, baked in a hot oven until brown.
The Moist Maker Leftover Turkey Sandwich
A double-decker of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce with an extra slice of bread soaked in hot gravy hidden in the middle. Inspired by a 1998 sitcom episode, not official.
Leftover Turkey Pho
The day-after carcass becomes pho: toasted star anise, cloves, coriander and cinnamon, charred-sweet onion and ginger, a little apple and cabbage, simmered into a clear broth and ladled over rice noodles, sliced turkey and fresh herbs.
Turkey Pot Pie with a Stuffing Crust
A creamy skillet filling of leftover turkey, onion, celery, peas and carrots, topped with wedges of leftover stuffing bound with an egg and baked crisp at 475°F, in about half an hour and one pan.
Diner Hot Turkey Sandwich with Gravy
The diner classic, open-faced: toasted white bread, leftover turkey warmed in stock, a scoop of mashed potatoes and a peppery, egg-enriched gravy ladled over everything.
Croquetas de Pavo (Spanish Turkey Croquettes)
Spain's favorite way to stretch leftover meat: finely chopped turkey cooked into a very thick bechamel of milk and turkey broth, chilled, shaped into little logs, coated in egg and crumbs and fried until crisp outside and creamy inside.
Turkey Korokke (Japanese Potato Croquettes)
Japan's home-style croquette with Thanksgiving leftovers inside: fluffy mashed russet potatoes folded with leftover turkey and slowly cooked onion, shaped into ovals, rolled in flour, egg and panko and fried golden, with tonkatsu sauce.
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Turkey Bubble and Squeak
Britain's day-after fry-up with turkey: leftover mashed potatoes, chopped Brussels sprouts and shredded turkey bound with egg yolk, pan-fried in oil and butter until browned on both sides and finished in the oven.
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Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar)
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Danish Frikadeller
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Königsberger Klopse
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Spanish Albóndigas in Almond Saffron Sauce
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Mexican Albóndigas with Chipotle and Mint
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Izgara Köfte (Turkish Grilled Meatballs)
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Lion's Head Meatballs
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