Making homemade Turkey soup is a great way to stretch your food budget and use the bones and scraps that normally would be thrown away.
It’s a easy, low-key meal that doesn’t take a lot of effort or babysitting.
After your turkey dinner, take all the bones, skins, fat, and any scraps and put them into a large pot. Fill the pot to the top with water- covering all the bones. Simmer on a very low setting (or you can put it all into a crockpot on low) for about 24 hours. The time doesn’t have to be precise. Most of the time I will simmer it from after dinner until the next afternoon. But if I have a lot going on I’ve also simmered it for 2 days as well. Just check the water level and add more water if necessary.
When you’re ready to start making the soup (this process will take a few hours between cooling/cooking time, but it’s not something you are completely involved with the whole time) using a strainer separate the stock (water that has now absorbed all the flavor and seasonings) and the bones/meat/skins/fat etc.
I let the bones and things cool in the strainer for about 45 minutes, then go through and separate the good from the bad. Throw away the bones, fat, skins, and anything unwanted, and put the good meat back into the stock for your soup. You will be surprised how much good meat is hidden in the bones and small areas!
Now you have your stock, and some meat to start a good soup. Add the things you want to complete the soup such as veggies, noodles, more good meat leftovers, and if you have any leftover gravy that also makes a great addition to the soup!
Watch this video to see how easy it is-
You can make any type of soup using this same technique. Ham, Chicken, Beef, even fish.
Some small bones will actually cook to a soft point and be edible if cooked long enough, but I always separate them out before that point.
🛒 Shop This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, What 8 Ate earns from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- Turkey bones, fat, skin, scraps
- Water
- Vegetables of choice
- Noodles (optional)
- Leftover good meat
- Leftover gravy (optional)
Instructions
After your turkey dinner, take all the bones, skins, fat, and any scraps and put them into a large pot. Fill the pot to the top with water- covering all the bones. Simmer on a very low setting (or you can put it all into a crockpot on low) for about 24 hours. The time doesn't have to be precise. Most of the time I will simmer it from after dinner until the next afternoon. But if I have a lot going on I've also simmered it for 2 days as well. Just check the water level and add more water if necessary. When you're ready to start making the soup (this process will take a few hours between cooling/cooking time, but it's not something you are completely involved with the whole time) using a strainer separate the stock (water that has now absorbed all the flavor and seasonings) and the bones/meat/skins/fat etc. I let the bones and things cool in the strainer for about 45 minutes, then go through and separate the good from the bad. Throw away the bones, fat, skins, and anything unwanted, and put the good meat back into the stock for your soup. You will be surprised how much good meat is hidden in the bones and small areas! Now you have your stock, and some meat to start a good soup. Add the things you want to complete the soup such as veggies, noodles, more good meat leftovers, and if you have any leftover gravy that also makes a great addition to the soup!
Notes
You can do this same process for any meat bones to make different kinds of soup or stock. Ham, Chicken, Beef, and even fish.
