I would never ditch that leftover turkey from Thanksgiving! No way! I use the extras for this delicious Asian-Inspired Turkey Noodle Soup. Drop the turkey carcass in a pot with carrots, onions, herbs, and spices, and voila -- homemade turkey stock!

a white bowl with turkey noodle soup and a slice of lime on the side

Loaded with deliciousness, this leftover turkey soup is also healthy and filling! The ginger, shallots, lime, and touch of heat from the sambal oelek, combined with the turkey meat and bean thread noodles, is one bowl of noodle soup that you'll savor all week long. Slurp away!

Ingredients for turkey noodle soup:

What to do with all that leftover turkey? These simple ingredients and leftover turkey is all you'll need to make this delicious, belly-warming noodle soup with an Asian twist!

6 cups homemade turkey stock, or store-bought broth (Learn how to make your own turkey stock.)
1 large garlic clove
1 large carrot
2 medium shallots
6 thin slices of peeled fresh ginger
2 kafir lime leaves (fresh or dried)
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (red chili paste)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Juice from ½ lime
3 ½ ounces bean thread noodles (also known as glass or cellophane noodles)
2 cups shredded turkey meat
¼ cup fresh cilantro
Lime slices to garnish

fresh ginger and garlic on a wooden board — **Fresh ginger and garlic are key ingredients in this flavorful Asian-Inspired Turkey noodle soup!**

A jar of sambal oelek, red chili paste, on a white board with dried chili peppers on the side. — **Just a tablespoon of sambal (red chili paste) gives this turkey noodle soup some heat!**

a jar of Thai fish sauce on a wooden board — **Fish sauce adds such a great umami flavor to this Asian-inspired turkey soup!**

a turkey carcass in a foil pan with bones and skin

Don't throw away your leftover turkey carcass! It's so easy to make a homemade turkey stock for this soup! Homemade stock is always more flavorful than store-bought.

How to make homemade turkey stock

1 cooked turkey carcass (about 4 pounds), turkey meat mostly removed
2 large onions, cut into quarters
4 celery stalks, cut into quarters
4 large carrots, cut into quarters
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
A bunch of fresh cilantro, stems included

Place the turkey, onions, celery, and carrots into a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Add enough water to cover the carcass. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to a slow simmer. Simmer until reduced by half (about 3 - 3 ½ hours).
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and transfer the big bones and vegetables from the stockpot to the strainer. When only small bits remain, pour the stock through the strainer and into the bowl.
Cool completely and store the turkey stock into several storage containers. If not using immediately, refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

cooked turkey stock with vegetables and aromatic herbs in a stockpot, close-up, horizontal from above

Making homemade turkey stock is so easy! Throw it all into the pot and forget about it!

There are so many other ways to use up that leftover turkey, like in this Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Curry with Sweet Potatoes recipe!

This belly-warming turkey noodle soup with homemade turkey stock has layers upon layers of flavor, from the fresh ginger and garlic, to the spicy sambal and dash of fish sauce! This delicious and healthy soup is so perfect for using your leftover Thanksgiving turkey!

Tips & Tricks

Making homemade turkey stock will always create the best flavors in this soup. But if you need to you can use store-bought turkey broth in a pinch.
Sambal oelek can be found at most grocery stores in the Asian section and at Asian markets.
Kafir lime leaves are available at most Asian markets and select grocery stores. The dried version can be found at select grocery stores like Whole Foods. You can also substitute the kafir lime leaves for bay leaves.
You can freeze any leftover soup for up to 3 months.

Want more?

If you liked this Asian-Inspired Turkey Noodle Soup recipe, you’re going to want these recipes:

Suggested wine pairing

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A bottle of Soleil Vent. Ame Chardonnay from Scout & Cellar wine

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Update Notes: This post was originally published on January 10, 2017, but was republished with slight text changes and additions, like step-by-step instructions and tips in November 2020.