Leftover Turkey & Dumpling Soup

It’s the day after Thanksgiving, the fire is lit, Christmas decorations are going up, and it only felt right to make this cozy leftover turkey & dumpling soup!

I hope everyone had the best Thanksgiving! If you’re like me, you have a ton of leftovers. We not only have leftover roasted turkey from yesterday, but also from Wednesday.

I knew I had to use it up, and a really cozy, comforting soup sounded like the perfect dish to make.

The day after Thanksgiving for my family is just as much of a holiday as the day before. We relax, eat lots of good meals, and put up all the Christmas decorations. My dad, grandpa, and three brothers (well, two of them are usually still sleeping) start in the morning outside putting up all of the lights.

My grandma and mom work inside, putting up all the little “trinkets” around the house, while I get right into the kitchen!

We ate this soup for lunch and then continued to decorate the house while watching hockey in the background. Candles are on, the fireplace is lit, and it is truly the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.

This soup was really the highlight of the day. It turned out so irresistibly good. I used a bunch of ingredients I had left over from our Thanksgiving dinner like onions, carrots, turkey, and fresh herbs. I had made a turkey stock last weekend, so if you have any turkey stock on hand, definitely use it! If not, chicken stock will work just as well. And make sure to taste the soup and season to your liking. The flavors are so classic and simple, that the soup really needs a good pinch of salt.

I really hope you love this leftover turkey & dumpling soup, and that it makes your weekend extra cozy before the workweek begins. I even think I’m going to be making it in the future with chicken…it is that good.

Leftover Turkey & Dumpling Soup

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leftover thanksgiving turkey & dumpling soup with fresh herbs

serves: 6

Ingredients

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• olive oil, as needed
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 sprigs fresh sage
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 ½ qts turkey (or chicken) stock
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
• 1 lb leftover turkey, shredded
• salt & freshly cracked black pepper

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Instructions

1. Heat a large, heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add enough oil to just coat the bottom. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Let the onions caramelize for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring often. Add the carrots and celery. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Sauté for another 8 minutes or so.
2. Add the sage, thyme, bay leaves, and stock. Stir well and bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring often. Season the soup with salt and black pepper to taste.
3. Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Stir in the heavy cream until just incorporated. Don’t over-mix (the dough will be somewhat rustic and lumpy).
4. Remove the herbs from the soup and stir in the leftover turkey. Use 2 spoons to dollop the dumplings into the soup in an even layer. Cover the pot and let simmer for 8 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for 2 more minutes.
5. Serve the soup in large bowls with fresh black pepper cracked over top and any extra herbs.

Notes

Shredded chicken would work extremely well, too.

To reheat the soup, ladle it into a saucepan and add a little bit more stock to loosen it back up. Heat gently over medium-low heat.