Nothing fancy to see here, kids!
Nothing fancy at all.
Just an extremely flavorful (understatement of the century) Easy Turkey Noodle Soup that starts with a turkey-based broth with heaps upon heaps upon heaps of steamy rice noodles and every possible topping in the universe including but not limited to a heavy handed dousing of sriracha even if that’s not totally authentic. Also: me slurping the noodles up like a child because my fine motor skills actually BECOME those of a child when I have chopsticks in my hand. But come ON. I’d rather not do this right now.
What I do want to do is tell you how important it is for your tastebuds that you resourcefully use the leftover turkey and the turkey carc*** (terrible, terrible word that shall not be named on this blog) and make these epic noodle bowls.
I’m keeping today’s post short because it’s sort of unexpected –> I just found myself feeling inspired to make a turkey in order to have the leftovers to make the turkey soup which we devoured in three and a half bites ALL BEFORE THANKSGIVING EVEN HAPPENED // so logical –> and I normally don’t post on Tuesdays, but I really needed you to see this before you throw away the turkey you-know-what after T-giving dinner.
Don’t do it! Don’t throw it away. Intervene NOW.
So should you make this and slurp it up while sitting around in your cozies over the weekend? Let’s just say I feel really good when I think about us doing that. 💙
Source notes: This recipe was previously titled “Easy Turkey Pho” but was updated in August 2021 to better reflect and respect the cultural origins from which this dish came from. While the broth in this soup uses flavors commonly found in pho, it is not a traditional pho recipe. Check out this recipe from Sarah at The Woks of Life for traditional and delicious pho!
Easy Turkey Noodle Soup
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Easy turkey noodle soup recipe – LIGHT and so flavorful. Perfect for leftovers on a cozy chilly day!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Broth
- 6–8 cups turkey broth (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 whole star anise
- 6 whole cloves
- 1/4 cup cilantro stems
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into pieces
For Noodle Bowls
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- 2 cups shredded leftover turkey
- cilantro, mint, lime, hot sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, chili peppers, sprouts, or anything else you’d want to top your soup with!
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, simmer all the broth ingredients together for an hour or so. Pour through a fine mesh colander, reserving liquid and discarding solids.
- Return to heat and add noodles. Let the noodles soak until soft (about 10 minutes). Add the turkey. Transfer to bowls (noodles and turkey heaped in the middle, broth ladled over the whole thing) and top with anything your turkey noodle soup heart desires. And DON’T SKIP THE LIME. My favorite.
Notes
Ingredients note: I bought all these ingredients at what I consider to be a mainstream grocery store (Cub Foods, if you’re local to the Minneapolis area). The star anise came in a little bag in the section where they sell the whole dried spices.
Do this a day in advance if you can! I made it all in one day and it was totally fine, but it would be ideal to spread it over two days. –> To make the stock, just cut up the turkey carcass (I’m sorry – no way around that word) and cover it with 8-10 cups water in a large pot. Throw in a few chopped up carrots and some onion slices and simmer for 1-2 hours. Drain, reserving the tasty broth and discarding the solids, and then if you can, let it chill for a while so you can skim the fat off the top. Total yield will depend on how long you simmer it, but generally speaking, this should be plenty for this soup recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vietnamese-Inspired
Keywords: turkey soup, turkey noodle soup, turkey recipe, thanksgiving leftovers
