Make this Creamy Turkey and Dumplings Soup with any turkey and herbs you have left over from Thanksgiving. Made with juicy turkey, veggies, and homemade tender dumplings.
This turkey and dumplings recipe is pure comfort food, in my opinion. It’s hearty, full of vegetables, and easy to make.
This recipe calls for onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, and celery. You can add corn and peas if you’d like.
And the best part of the creamy turkey soup…. the dumplings. The dumplings are basically drop biscuits, and they cook up so light and fluffy. Don’t worry, they are easy to make, I promise!.
We also love making Turkey Tetrazzini, putting Thanksgiving leftovers in a pot pie, or these Green Chile Turkey Quesadillas.
Leftover turkey dumpling soup is the perfect way to use up extra turkey and veggies after the holidays. This hearty, creamy soup is easy to make and so comforting on chilly nights. As a busy mom who loves cooking, I’ve perfected an easy turkey dumpling soup recipe that my whole family adores.
An Overview of Leftover Turkey Dumpling Soup
This soup starts with a flavorful base of sauteed carrots celery, onions and garlic. Then the broth, leftover turkey meat, milk, and seasonings are added in. The dumplings are made from simple pantry ingredients like flour, baking powder, milk, and egg. They cook right on top of the simmering soup until fluffy.
The best part about leftover turkey dumpling soup is that it comes together in just 45 minutes but tastes like you spent all day simmering the stock and forming dumplings. Plus it makes great use of extra turkey, veggies, and herbs you likely have on hand after the holidays.
Benefits of Leftover Turkey Dumpling Soup
There are so many reasons why this soup should be part of your post-holiday meal plan
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Uses up leftovers: Don’t let leftovers go to waste! This soup is the perfect place to use up extra turkey, veggies, broth and fresh herbs.
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Budget-friendly: You likely already have most of the ingredients on hand, making this soup very wallet-friendly.
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Comforting: The creamy broth, tender turkey and pillowy dumplings can’t be beat on chilly nights.
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Customizable: Swap in any veggies or seasonings you need to use up. Canned biscuits can even sub for the dumplings.
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Family-friendly: Kids and adults alike will love this creamy, hearty soup. It makes great leftovers too.
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Easy: With just 20 minutes of prep and 25 minutes cook time, it’s simple enough for busy weeknights.
Step-By-Step Instructions for Leftover Turkey Dumpling Soup
Follow these simple steps for leftover turkey dumpling soup success:
Prep the Vegetables
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Dice the carrots, celery, potatoes and onions.
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Saute the veggies in butter until the onions are soft.
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Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Make the Broth
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Stir the flour into the sautéed veggies.
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Whisk in the broth, milk, turkey, and seasonings.
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Simmer until heated through.
Make the Dumplings
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Whisk together the dry dumpling ingredients.
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Add the milk and egg, stirring just until combined.
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Drop spoonfuls of batter into the simmering soup.
Cook the Soup
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Cover and simmer 15 minutes without peeking.
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The dumplings will puff up as they cook.
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Serve the hot soup into bowls and enjoy!
Tips for Leftover Turkey Dumpling Soup
Here are some of my top tips for making this soup successfully:
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Use both white and dark turkey meat for maximum flavor.
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Add any extra vegetables like peas, corn or greens.
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Swap in poultry seasoning or fresh herbs for seasoning.
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For quicker dumplings, use canned biscuits cut into pieces.
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For lighter dumplings, replace the milk with broth.
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Let the cooked soup cool before storing leftovers in the fridge.
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Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months for quick meals later.
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Add a side salad or extra veggies for a heartier meal.
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Serve with crusty bread for dipping in the creamy broth.
Common Questions about Leftover Turkey Dumpling Soup
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about this soup:
What can I use instead of leftover turkey?
Cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken works well too. You can also boil chicken pieces in broth to use.
How do I make the dumplings gluten-free?
Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend in place of regular flour.
Can I use turkey wings or legs?
Absolutely! Just boil them in broth until fully cooked then remove and chop the meat.
What kind of milk works best?
Whole milk or half-and-half gives a richer creaminess but low-fat milk works too.
How do I adjust the servings?
Use the serving slider on the recipe card to adjust up or down.
Can I prep the soup ahead of time?
Yes! Prepare through step 2 then refrigerate up to 2 days before assembling and cooking.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
If you love this leftover turkey dumpling soup, try out more of my cozy, hearty soup recipes:
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Smoky Ham and Bean Soup
- Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup
- Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
How to make Turkey and Dumplings Soup
Step 1: Prepare the vegetables
Start by sauteing the carrots, celery, potatoes, and onions in a large stockpot over medium heat. As soon as the onions start to soften, add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.
Step 2: Add flour
Mix in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Then, pour in the broth and milk. Add the turkey, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring turkey and dumplings soup to a simmer.
Step 3: Prepare the dumplings
Combine the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Then, pour in the milk and add the egg. Mix until combined and there aren’t any dry clumps.
Step 4: Add dumplings
Add the dumplings by the spoonful to the creamy turkey soup. Add a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!.
But you don’t have to use leftover turkey. If you want a great way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers, this turkey soup dumpling recipe is perfect. This turkey and dumplings recipe can also be made with leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.
This turkey soup dumpling recipe will last 4-5 days in the fridge. Just make sure to let it cool down before storing in an airtight container. After 4-5 days, the turkey and dumplings will begin to lose texture and start to go bad.
Ingredients for This Turkey Soup Dumpling Recipe
Chicken stock or broth: You can use the turkey carcass to make your own stock, or you can buy broth or stock from the store.
Leftover turkey: Use both the white and dark meat if you have it. It will provide more flavor that way. Also, a great substitute is rotisserie chicken. Don’t have either of those? You can boil some chicken pieces in broth and use that instead. Just don’t forget to use that broth you cooked the chicken in!.
Foods: After Thanksgiving, there is often extra potatoes, celery, onions, and maybe even carrots that need to be used up. In fact, you might have other vegetables that you want to use up. Feel free to add them to the creamy turkey soup too!
Sometimes people like to cook with fresh herbs and sometimes with poultry seasoning. I’ll give you the amounts for both, and you can choose which to use.
Milk or half and half: This adds a nice touch to make it a little more luxurious. However, feel free to leave it out if you prefer.
Dumplings: I am making from scratch dumplings, and I PROMISE they are not hard to make. But if you would rather, you can use a can of biscuits. Cut each biscuit into fourths and drop it into the soup. Cover and cook according to the recipe. There is also an option to use leftover stuffing to make dumplings.
