Creamy turkey noodle soup is a hearty, comforting meal that's made in a single pot and ready in 30 minutes. This easy homemade soup is filled with tender turkey, egg noodles, and healthy vegetables.
Creamy turkey noodle soup is the perfect winter soup recipe. It's filled to the brim with hearty ingredients like turkey and egg noodles, with a smooth, creamy broth.
This soup reminds me of chicken pot pie, in soup form! It's cozy, warming, and filling, with a mild herb flavor. The best part? It's made in a single pan!
Make this soup with leftover turkey (I'm looking at you, Thanksgiving and Christmas!) or a store bought rotisserie chicken.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Broth - Chicken broth, turkey broth, or vegetable broth are ideal for this recipe.
- Unsalted butter - Can be substituted with salted butter, but can make your soup saltier (the rest of the sodium comes from the broth).
- Leftover turkey - Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers. Or, use a shredded rotisserie chicken instead. You'll need about 12 ounces of meat. If you don't have any cooked meat on hand, cube up some turkey or chicken breasts (or thighs), season with salt and pepper, and brown in a skillet with olive oil until cooked through.
- Vegetables - Onion, carrot, and celery, also known as mirepoix, are aromatics that add a classic savory flavor to your soup.
- Egg noodles - Egg noodles are my favorite choice for soup recipes. If you don't have any on hand, these can be substituted with any small sized dried pasta. Check your pasta's cooking times and adjust the recipe as needed.
- Garlic - Adds flavor to your soup. Two cloves of garlic can be substituted with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder if needed.
- Flour - Creates a roux with the butter and is necessary to thicken your soup.
- Poultry seasoning - Adds a classic savory flavor to your soup, reminiscent of Thanksgiving turkey.
- Half & half - Can be substituted with whole milk for a slightly thinner soup.
How to make soup thicker or thinner
Since you're boiling pasta in the same pot as your broth, this will help to thicken your soup considerably. If it looks thin at first, allow your soup to set for 5 minutes (off the heat) before serving.
You'll be surprised at how much your soup thickens over time. As the pasta sits in the soup, it will continue to soak up liquids, making it thicker.
If your soup is too thick, add more chicken broth or water. This may be the case with leftover soup - you may need to add a splash of broth or water before reheating.
Pasta and creamy soups don't generally freeze well, so I don't recommend it for this recipe.
What to serve with turkey noodle soup
- Crusty bread (for dipping)
- Freezer garlic bread
- Saltine crackers
- Croutons
- Grilled cheese
Or, serve a small portion of soup with a side salad for a light lunch:
Can you freeze turkey noodle soup?
Cream based soups generally do not freeze and thaw well, so I do not recommend freezing this particular recipe.
However, broth based soups freeze and reheat beautifully, and chicken can easily be substituted with turkey in these recipes:
Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half & half
- 6 ounces egg noodles
- 12 ounces cooked turkey, or chicken, cubed
Instructions
- In a stock pot over medium heat, add butter. Once melted and hot, add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until vegetables begin to turn brown and onions begin to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Add flour and poultry seasoning, stirring to coat vegetables and create a paste. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add chicken broth, half & half, and egg noodles to pot, stirring and scraping bottom of pan to deglaze (if needed). Bring soup to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook according to pasta package directions for al dente pasta (for my thin egg noodles, this was 3 minutes).
- Add chicken and stir to combine. Remove from heat. If soup is still thin, allow to set for 5 minutes to allow soup to thicken. Do a taste test, season with salt and pepper if desired, then serve and enjoy.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- If soup is too thin, allow to set for a few minutes to thicken. The pasta will continually soak up liquid and thicken the soup as it stands.
- If soup is too thick, add more chicken broth or water until desired consistency is achieved.
- Soup reheats well the next day, but may need a splash of broth or water when reheating.
- Creamy soups and pastas generally do not freeze well, so I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Great Recipe, quick and easy. Super delicious!!! I didn't have half and half so I used thick delicious coconut milk and it was wonderful!!! I made 3 batches to use the turkey and bone broth from Thanksgiving leftovers and it was fast and fantastic!!