Leftovers are one of those things that people either love or hate. I’m somewhat of a middleman there myself. And as someone who can only handle so much leftover Turkey at Thanksgiving, I needed to think of something to do with all of this bird.
Well, since I’m a bit obsessed with creating some of the best and most hearty soups around, I figured it would only be ideal to transform that leftover turkey into the ULTIMATE Cream of Turkey Pot Pie Chowder Soup EVER! (Okay, I totally just made that name up – but trust me – it tastes like all of those things rolled into one bowl).
And the best part is, since this is pre-cooked leftovers, you can make this extremely quickly in either your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi OR stovetop! Leftovers have never been more exciting, delicious or gobbled up more quickly!
Here’s How I Made It!:
Start by taking that leftover turkey and gravy out of the fridge.
Take a portion of the turkey, place it on a plate…
…and shred/cut it up into bite-sized pieces. Reserve and set aside.
Then, take the remaining turkey and gravy…
…and transfer to the pot.
Pour in some turkey or chicken broth…
…and add in some spices like thyme…
…and rubbed sage.
Give everything a good stir and bring the pot to a bubble.
Once it bubbles, allow it to simmer for a few minutes so everything gets heated up. After a few minutes, switch the gears so the pot is on the “Keep Warm” setting.
Next, take an immersion blender…
…and purée the pot’s contents to become something magical.
Add in some heavy cream or half & half…
…grated Parmesan…
…and stir…
…until well-combined.
Then, take the reserved turkey we shredded up and add it to the soup.
Lastly, add in a pack of frozen veggies…
…black pepper…
…seasoned salt…
…a dash of Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet…
…and a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce.
Give it all a final stir for a few moments until the veggies are heated through (this will happen quickly due to the heat of the soup).
Ladle into bowls…
…top with croutons, if desired…
…bring a spoonful to your mouth…
…react dramatically…
…and offer some to others (I mean, do you see the size of that bowl?!). This is taking leftovers to the next level by creating one unbelievably hearty and delicious soup!
Enjoy!
Instant Pot Creamy Turkey Soup
If you have turkey leftovers, turn it into a delightfully creamy soup.
Ingredients
- Leftover turkey & gravy, divided in half (however much you have)
- 2-4 cups of turkey broth or chicken broth (depending on how much left over turkey you have – the more turkey, the more broth. I had 4 pounds of turkey leftover, so I used 3 tsp of Turkey Better Than Bouillon + 3 cups of water)
- 1 tsp of thyme
- 1 tsp of rubbed sage
- 1 cup of heavy cream or half & half
- 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp of Tony Chachere’s Creole or Cajun seasoning (or any Creole/Cajun seasoning)
- 1 tsp of black pepper
- 1 tsp of seasoned salt
- A dash of Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet
- A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- 10 oz packet of frozen mixed vegetables (the one with carrots, peas, corn and string beans in it – you can double this if you use a lot of broth)
- Croutons, for topping (optional)
Instructions
You can totally do this on your stovetop in a soup pot if you wish as we won’t be pressure cooking since we are using leftover cooked turkey and don’t want to overcook it. But since the Instant Pot is so easy and doesn’t require the kitchen being heated up, I just did it there.
- Add about 1/3rd of the leftover turkey and all the leftover gravy to the Instant Pot. Shred up the additional 2/3rds leftover turkey and set aside on a plate
- Hit “Sauté” and adjust so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting (“High” on the stove). Pour in the broth and add in the thyme and rubbed sage. Allow it to bubble for about 5 minutes
- After 5 minutes of bubbling, turn the pot to the “Keep Warm” setting (“Low” on the stove). Once the bubbles die down, take an immersion blender and blend everything together
- Stir in the reserved shredded turkey, frozen vegetables, heavy cream (or half & half), grated Parmesan, Creole Seasoning, black pepper, seasoned salt, Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet and Worcestershire sauce. Stir for 3 minutes until the frozen veggies are heated through (which will happen very quickly)
- Lade into bowls (or bread bowls) and top with croutons, if desired
- Enjoy!
Jeffrey's Tips
If you want to make this soup WITHOUT having to use leftover turkey and gravy, simply cook about 4 lbs of turkey breast with gravy and follow my Turkey Breast + Gravy recipe here! Then, just follow this recipe as is!
Get the immersion blender here!
Goes GREAT in a sourdough bread bowl – just like a Turkey Pot Pie!
Tim Broder SR
Hello Jeffery,
We have communicated before about linguini and white clam sauce, one of our best dishes for company. By the way my daughter lives in Brooklyn.
Now all I want to do is make a turkey soup with our turkey carcass from thanksgiving.
What I need to know is how long to pressure cook it to have the meat fall off the bone then continue with the rest of the receipt
Jeffrey
Thank you! I hope she’s loving Brooklyn! Go for an hour.