Loving Leftovers: Heartwarming Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe

I love cooking with leftovers, especially around the holidays. I also try to save as much as I can when cooking for future recipes, such as pasta water and turkey drippings. Here’s an easy and fairly quick Turkey Noodle Soup recipe using ingredients that I found in my kitchen. I opted to use chickpea pasta for a healthier starch option.

Sustainable & Budget-Friendly Cooking

Want to save money and add more flavor to your cooking? Try saving items after cooking, such as pasta water, water used to boil frozen vegetables, and drippings from baked meat.

Each of these can be added to soups, stews and sauces. Chicken noodle soup is one of the quintessential American comfort foods, so making a version using leftover turkey meat and drippings (along with whatever was in my kitchen) seemed like the way to go.

I’m also not quick to throw away leftover meat. Prior to cooking leftover protein in the fridge or freezer, I make sure to do the smell test and check the color of the meat. If the meat smells like it should and looks as such, it can be fun to create meals with leftover meat, like noodle soup, mac n’ cheese and melted sandwiches.

Beer Pairing

I paired this dish with the fruity IPA, SuperJack from San Tan Brewing. The hoppiness of the beer pairs well with the warm, comforting soup. Also, the citrus flavors of the beer compliments the light, poultry soup broth perfectly.

Ingredients & Recipe

• Turkey meat
• Turkey drippings
• White or yellow onions
• Macaroni pasta (or similar) I recommend this delicious Banza Chickpea Pasta!
• Fresh or frozen vegetables that you already have in your kitchen. What I chose:
  • Frozen green beans
  • Fresh red bell peppers
  • Frozen lima beans
• Lemon juice
• Suggested herbs & spices:
  • Thyme
  • Rosemary
  • Onion powder
  • Paprika
  • Basil
  • Bay leaf
  • Chives for garnish
• Flour for thickening (pancake mix works too)
• Salt & black pepper (highly recommend sea salt. It’s a flavor game-changer.)
• Water

In a pot on medium heat, add half a ladle scoop of turkey dripping, chopped onions and your fresh chopped vegetables. Add herbs and spices. After sweating the onions, add at least 3 ladle scoops of turkey dripping and 2-3 cups of water to the pot. Turn the heat up to boil the mixture.

In a separate pot, add salted water and cook the pasta to desired doneness. Save the pasta water in the fridge to add flavor and thickness for a future recipe!

If you’re cooking with frozen veggies, add them to the onion and turkey dripping mixture when it starts to boil. The frozen vegetables will stop the mixture from boiling; simply keep the heat on high to bring the mixture again to a boil. Once boiling, add the chopped turkey meat then reduce the heat and cook on medium for about 25 minutes, or when vegetables are thoroughly cooked, stirring occasionally. If desired, thicken the soup with a tablespoon of flour and stir until the flour dissolves.

Season to your desired taste then squeeze fresh lemon juice before serving. Enjoy! Let me know what you think or other recipes you’d like to see in the comments.

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Credits:

All recipe photos taken by Jan Crystal