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Day-After-Thanksgiving Turkey Carcass Soup

This leftover turkey soup is an easy and delicious meal that puts your turkey carcass to good use! So save the carcass from your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner — and some stuffing, too — and make this tasty soup for lunch or a light dinner the next day.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 10 people
Calories 11792.2 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Stockpot Minimum 8-quart capacity for simmering
  • 1 Fine-Mesh Skimmer or Ladle For skimming foam and removing solids
  • 1 Cutting Board
  • 1 Chef's knife
  • 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 1 picked-over turkey carcass
  • 1 ½ cups leftover stuffing
  • 1 onion peeled and diced
  • 2 carrots peeled and sliced
  • 2 celery stalks chopped
  • 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 ½ quarts chicken broth
  • 1 cup water or as needed (Optional)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt or to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups uncooked regular long-grain white rice
  • 1 16 ounce package frozen green peas

Instructions
 

  • Place turkey carcass in a large, deep pot. Add stuffing, onion, carrots, celery, poultry seasoning, sage, and bay leaves. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Pour in chicken broth. Add additional water if needed to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, skimming off any foam, for about 1 hour. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Remove carcass and any bones. Pick any meat off carcass and bones. Return meat to the pot and discard bones and skin. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Season soup with garlic salt and pepper. Stir in rice and return to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Stir in peas and continue to simmer until rice is tender, about 10 minutes more. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Adjust seasonings to taste before serving. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Serve hot and enjoy! Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Notes

For a richer stock, consider roasting the turkey carcass with additional aromatics (onions, carrots, celery scraps) for 30-45 minutes before adding to the pot. This caramelizes sugars and deepens flavor. Skim foam meticulously during the initial simmering to ensure a clear broth; a fine-mesh skimmer is ideal. To prevent rice from becoming mushy, especially if the soup will be reheated, cook it separately and add to individual bowls just before serving. Taste and adjust seasonings frequently, as the saltiness of leftover stuffing and broth can vary. A pinch of fresh herbs like parsley or chives at the end will brighten the final dish.