Is Turkey Soup Good For You? A Healthy and Nutritious Meal

This homemade turkey soup recipe is a simple, healthy soup you can make in your instant pot , slow cooker , or on the stove! A yummy, easy turkey soup everyone will love!

There’s nothing worse than eating thanksgiving dinner 4x in a row to use up the leftover turkey.. that’s why this leftover turkey is a MUCH better option!

This isn’t just any leftover turkey soup… it’s the BEST leftover turkey soup. What makes it so good you might ask?

Well, we use turkey bone broth (which you can easily make in under 5 minutes of prep), loads of hearty veggies, and tons of leftover turkey for maximum flavor.

This turkey soup is cozy, easy to make, and delicious! It can also be paleo/whole30 friendly, or gluten free depending on what add-ins you use. There’s a long list of substitutions below!

If you’re looking for how to cook your turkey – this Crockpot Turkey Breast is the best! (And if you’re still planning your Thanksgiving menu – check out these Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes!)

Turkey soup is a classic comfort food that is not only delicious but also incredibly good for you. Made from turkey meat, broth, vegetables, and grains, turkey soup provides a variety of health benefits that make it a wise dietary choice. Here’s a closer look at why turkey soup can be part of a healthy diet.

Nutrition Profile of Turkey Soup

There are several reasons why turkey soup is nutritious:

  • Turkey is a lean protein Compared to red meats like beef and pork, turkey is lower in fat and calories. The lean turkey meat in the soup provides protein, B vitamins, zinc, selenium, and other nutrients.

  • Contains immune-boosting nutrients. Turkey contains compounds like zinc, selenium, vitamin B6, and protein that support immune system health. The vegetables in the soup also provide antioxidants and phytochemicals that boost immunity.

  • Bone broth is gut-friendly When you make homemade turkey broth using the bones, it extracts gut-healing nutrients like collagen, gelatin, and amino acids. This helps seal and repair the gut lining

  • Packed with vegetables. Most turkey soup recipes call for carrots, celery, onions, and sometimes leafy greens. This provides a range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

  • Uses leftovers efficiently. Turkey soup is the ideal way to use up leftover turkey after a holiday meal. It prevents food waste while giving you another healthy dinner.

  • Satisfying and comforting. The protein from the turkey, fiber from the vegetables, and carbs from grains or pasta make turkey soup filling. It also provides nostalgia and comfort for many.

  • Highly customizable. You can customize turkey soup endlessly by changing up the vegetables, seasonings, grains, or pasta. This makes it family-friendly.

Tips for Making Nutritious Turkey Soup

Follow these tips to get the most nutrition from your homemade turkey soup:

  • Start with homemade turkey broth made by simmering the bones, skin, and giblets for up to 24 hours to extract nutrients.

  • Include a rainbow of vegetables like carrots, onions, celery, squash, green beans, tomatoes, and leafy greens.

  • Consider adding prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, asparagus, and dandelion greens to feed gut bacteria.

  • Use whole grains like barley, farro, quinoa, or brown rice instead of refined carbs.

  • Boost antioxidants by seasoning with herbs like turmeric, thyme, oregano, sage, and rosemary.

  • Limit sodium by using fewer prepared broths and favoring herbs over salt.

  • Go easy on refined carbs from noodles, rice, or bread to control blood sugar.

Delicious and Nutritious Turkey Soup Recipes

Here are some tasty turkey soup recipes that provide excellent nutrition:

  • Mom’s Turkey Soup – This classic version uses the turkey carcass to make broth. It’s simmered with carrots, onions, celery, egg noodles, and shredded turkey.

  • Healing Turkey Vegetable Soup – Made with turkey broth, meat, lentils, quinoa, and vegetables like corn, green beans, carrots, onion, and garlic. Season with sage and thyme.

  • Homestyle Turkey Soup – Includes roasted turkey, leeks, farro or barley, parsley, poultry seasoning, and lemon juice for comfort food flavor.

  • Turkey Chili – A fun twist using ground turkey, beans, corn, bell peppers, zucchini, chili powder, and cumin. Top with avocado.

  • Curried Turkey Soup – Infuse it with Thai flavors using coconut milk, curry powder, ginger, cilantro, mushrooms, and spinach or kale. Serve over brown rice.

  • Turkey and Wild Rice Soup – Cook wild rice separately, then add to soup along with sautéed mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, and thyme.

The Bottom Line

Turkey soup made with lean turkey meat, homemade broth, and loads of vegetables and whole grains provides a big nutritional payoff. The wide range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds make turkey soup a nutritious as well as satisfying meal. So feel good treating yourself to a bowl – it’s delicious and good for you!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of turkey soup?

Turkey soup provides many benefits including:

  • Lean turkey meat for protein to repair muscles and provide satiety
  • Immune-boosting nutrients like zinc and vitamin B6
  • Gut-healing compounds from homemade turkey bone broth
  • A rainbow of vitamins and antioxidants from the vegetables
  • Efficient use of holiday turkey leftovers
  • A comforting, nostalgic, and customizable dish

How healthy is turkey broth?

Turkey broth cooked for hours with the bones provides nutrients like:

  • Collagen to reduce gut inflammation and improve digestion
  • Amino acids to regulate stomach acid production
  • Magnesium and calcium extracted from the bones to support your health
  • Compounds that boost immunity, hair, nails, and joint health

Why does turkey soup make you feel better?

Reasons turkey soup provides comfort include:

  • The amino acids and collagen help repair and “seal” the gut lining
  • It provides minerals like magnesium and calcium that your body needs
  • The warmth, aroma, and nostalgia provide comfort when you’re sick
  • It’s easy on the stomach and provides nutrients when you have poor appetite
  • The protein helps you regain strength and recover faster

is turkey soup good for you

How to make Turkey Soup

Making leftover turkey soup is very simple. Pictured below are stovetop instructions, but you can easily do this in the crockpot or instant pot (see below in the recipe for crockpot turkey soup and instant pot turkey soup instructions)

  • Sauté onion + garlic, then celery + carrots until soft.
  • Add in spices, cooked turkey meat + broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes.
  • When you’re ready to serve, serve over cooked rice, noodles, or zucchini noodles.

This soup is easily customizable. Feel free to get creative with your add ins, and see below for some of the things we’ve tried.

Storing: Leftover turkey soup is good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. As the soup sits in the refrigerator, the rice/pasta will absorb the broth/liquid and become thicker. Don’t worry! Just add more broth when you’re ready to eat your leftovers.

Freezing: You can freeze this soup recipe for up to 3 months. We like these containers for freezing. If you need more tips on freezing food, check out this post on how to freeze soup!

Reheating: You can reheat this soup in the crockpot, microwave, or on the stove. Pasta, rice or zucchini noodles will absorb some of the liquid overnight so you can just add some broth when reheating or enjoy it thicker.

is turkey soup good for you

We hope you love this simple leftover turkey soup recipe. It’s great for after the holidays – or really ANY time you have turkey leftovers you have to use up! If you like this recipe, you’ll also love our Turkey Pot Pie Soup!

How can I thicken my Turkey Soup?

Thickening soup is easy to do. Put a tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk in 3-4 tablespoons of broth.

Once combined, add the mixture to the pot and stir over low heat. However – we don’t recommend trying to thicken this soup. It’s meant to be a broth-based soup, not a thick soup.

is turkey soup good for you

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Soup

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