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Published: November 13, 2026 · By Martin Smith · How I research
If there’s turkey left after Christmas dinner, soup is one of the easiest ways to use it up, and a warming Boxing Day lunch. These three leftover turkey soup recipes use everyday ingredients, are low in salt, and each makes 4 bowls. There’s also a simple way to turn the carcass into stock, plus how long leftovers keep.
Make a simple stock from the carcass (optional)
Homemade stock is very low in salt if you don’t add any, and it uses up the bones. Shop-bought stock works fine too: just choose a low-salt one.
- 1 turkey carcass, broken into pieces, with any meat removed
- 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stick, roughly chopped
- 1 bay leaf and a few peppercorns
- Enough cold water to cover (about 2.5 to 3 litres)
- Put everything in your biggest pan, bring it to the boil, then turn it down to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, skimming off any foam now and then.
- Strain through a sieve and throw away the bones and vegetables.
- Cool it quickly, then keep it in the fridge and use it within 2 days, or freeze it.
The vegetable amounts below are my own rough sums: each recipe’s vegetables (not counting barley or lentils) divided by 4 bowls. An 80g serving of vegetables counts as one of your 5 A Day.
1. Classic turkey and vegetable soup
Serves 4 · about 35 minutes · roughly 2 portions of veg per bowl
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, 2 carrots and 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 1 leek, sliced
- 1.2 litres turkey stock or low-salt chicken stock
- 300g cooked turkey, shredded or chopped
- 150g frozen peas
- A few sprigs of thyme, or 1 tsp dried
- Small handful of chopped parsley
- Soften the onion, carrot, celery and leek in the oil for 10 minutes.
- Add the stock and thyme and simmer for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the turkey and peas and simmer for 5 more minutes, until the turkey is steaming hot all the way through.
- Stir in the parsley and season with black pepper.
2. Turkey, leek and barley soup
Serves 4 · about 50 minutes · roughly 2 portions of veg per bowl
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 leeks, sliced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 100g pearl barley, rinsed
- 1.4 litres turkey stock or low-salt chicken stock
- 300g cooked turkey, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- Soften the onion, leeks and carrots in the oil for 8 minutes.
- Add the barley, stock and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until the barley is tender. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
- Add the turkey and simmer for 5 minutes, until steaming hot all the way through. Remove the bay leaf and season with black pepper.
3. Turkey and red lentil soup with cumin
Serves 4 · about 35 minutes · roughly 2 portions of veg per bowl, plus lentils
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion and 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 100g red lentils, rinsed
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 litre turkey stock or low-salt vegetable stock
- 250g cooked turkey, shredded
- Squeeze of lemon
- Soften the onion and carrot in the oil for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and spices for 1 minute.
- Add the lentils, tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the lentils are soft.
- Add the turkey and simmer for 5 minutes, until steaming hot all the way through.
- Finish with the lemon and black pepper.
Keeping the salt down
Adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day, about one level teaspoon, and that includes salt already in food (NHS). Stock cubes can be high in salt, so homemade stock or a low-salt version helps. Leftover roast turkey may already be seasoned, so taste before adding any salt, and use black pepper, herbs, garlic and lemon for flavour instead.
How long do turkey leftovers keep?
Food Standards Scotland gives this advice for leftovers (Food Standards Scotland):
- Cool cooked food as quickly as possible, ideally within one to two hours, then put it in the fridge.
- Don’t keep leftovers for longer than two days.
- When reheating, make sure the food is steaming hot all the way through.
- Don’t reheat food more than once.
If you won’t use the turkey within two days, freeze it. Soup also freezes well in single portions, so you can reheat just what you need.
Leftover turkey soup FAQ
Can I use leftover chicken instead?
Yes. All three recipes work with cooked chicken in place of turkey.
Can I put the leftover stuffing or gravy in the soup?
You can, but both are often salty, so add a little and taste first.
Which of these soups is the most filling?
The barley and lentil soups are the most filling, because the barley and lentils add extra fibre on top of the protein from the turkey.
Looking for more ideas? See my 5 easy healthy soup recipes for more simple, filling soups.
Sources
- Salt: the facts (NHS)
- Cooking food (Food Standards Scotland)
- What counts as 5 a day? (British Heart Foundation)
This article is for general information only and isn’t medical advice. If you follow a special diet, for example for kidney disease or a food allergy, check recipes with your doctor or dietitian. See my medical disclaimer.