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Published: Nov 16, 2018 Updated: Sep 14, 2022 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 27 Comments

Creamy Turkey Soup

Name: Creamy Turkey Soup
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 1 turkey carcass; ½ cup unsalted butter; 2 celery ribs (diced); 2 large carrots (peeled and diced); 1 large onion (diced); 3 cloves of garlic (diced); ½ cup all-purpose flour; 10 cups reserved turkey broth; 1 cup milk; 1 cup half-n-half; ¾ cup barley ((may substitute rice)); 1 cup corn; 2 tsp salt; ¾ tsp pepper; 4 cups turkey ((chopped) ); 1 tsp dried thyme

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This dreamy Creamy Turkey Soup is hearty, rich, and so filling! I look forward to preparing it every year, the day after Thanksgiving. Whether you use deep fried turkey, smoked turkey, or baked turkey, the end result is perfection! Use any leftover soup to make my AMAZING mini turkey pot pies!

Every year I look forward to Black Friday. Not for the reason that most women look forward to this day; unlike most women, I hate shopping. Especially if I have to deal with crowds. I'd much rather stay home and make this Creamy Turkey Soup.

Why This Recipe Works

This delicious Creamy Turkey Soup is AMAZING!!! It is easy to prepare and so satisfying and warm, especially in the colder months.
The recipe is forgiving and can be adjusted by replacing some of the ingredients if needed. For example, you can replace the barley with brown rice, or add only milk if you don't have half and half.
Although this is a Creamy "Turkey" Soup recipe, you can even go as far as using a rotisserie chicken instead of turkey. 🦃

What Goes into This Recipe

Ingredient Notes And Substitutions

Turkey — I prefer to use both light and dark turkey meat in my soup. If you have a preference, you can use it. Also, if you want to make this soup throughout the year and not just around Thanksgiving, a rotisserie chicken is a great option!
Barley — I love the texture of the barley in this soup. It's not only healthy but also filling. However, you can use rice, if you prefer.
Half and Half/Milk — Depending on how rich (or not) you would like the soup to be, you can use milk, half and half, or cream.
Garlic — Use either fresh garlic (never from a jar), or if you have a little extra time, roast the garlic first!

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1 | Simmer Turkey Carcass

Begin by stripping your turkey bones of most of the meat. Set the meat aside until needed. Place turkey carcass in a soup kettle or Dutch oven and cover with enough water to fully immerse. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for one hour or longer. Remove carcass and strain 10 cups of turkey broth.

Tip: If your turkey was stuffed with fruit or vegetables while roasting, add everything to the pot!

Step 2 | Strip Turkey of Meat

Remove remaining turkey meat from the carcass and cut into bite-size pieces. Add more turkey, as necessary, to equal four cups.

Step 3 | Sauté Vegetables

Melt butter in a large soup kettle or Dutch oven. Saute celery, carrots, onions, and garlic for a couple of minutes. Add flour, and stir for a few more minutes.

carrots, onions, and celery being sautéed

Step 4 | Add Broth

Gradually add half of the reserved broth, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, while stirring. Simmer until thickened.

Step 5 | Add Barley, Corn, Salt, Pepper, Turkey, and Thyme

Add the remaining broth, barley, corn, salt, pepper, reserved turkey, and thyme. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 35 minutes or until barley is tender.

Step 6 | Stir In Milk and Half-n-Half

Add milk, and half-n-half, then simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor!!!

turkey soup being spooned with a large ladle

I made this tonight, a terrific recipe, I didn’t have enough barley so I used rice and didn’t cook it as long. My mom and I both enjoyed it.
—Paula

Various Ingredients to Include in This Soup

The most obvious ingredient you need to make this creamy turkey soup is a turkey! Additionally, you need butter and flour; they help with the thickening of the soup.

You will also need plenty of vegetables. I recommend carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and corn. If you choose to add potatoes, you'll probably have to add more liquid, or the soup will be too thick.

Also, if you don't like barley, you can substitute rice instead. The addition of heavy cream, half and half, or milk makes this soup extra creamy. But, in an effort to cut down on the calories, I use a combination of milk and ½ and ½.

Finally, herbs like thyme and sage help to take this creamy turkey soup to the next level. What about you, what will you add?

This was delicious! I substituted orzo pasta for the barley and it came out great. A hit with the entire family.
—Kristine

I added leftover dressing and noodles instead of barley and it is YUMMY. Thank you Hilda.
—Anne

Creamy Turkey Soup Leftovers

This is one of those times that you are going to wish you have some leftovers. That's because you will need the leftover creamy turkey soup to make Turkey Pot-Pies.

These mini pot-pies are absolutely delicious and perfect for a quick lunch or an easy dinner. They freeze well too! Alternatively, you can make the traditional-sized pies, but we are huge fans of the individual-sized ones.

You will need the 5" disposable mini tins which can be purchased on Amazon. I always make sure I have some on hand!

I’ve been making this soup every year for the last 7 years and my family loves it just as much as the big Thanksgiving feast itself. My favorite tweaks are to use a carcass from a deep fried turkey using Cajun seasoning and I like to sub out the rice and use barley. Happy cooking!
—Zara

Pro Tips

I like to boil the turkey carcass on Thanksgiving night. I then refrigerate the broth until the next day, when I make the soup.
One of the advantages of making the broth the night before is that you can skim the hardened fat off the top of the broth, reducing the amount of fat in the soup.
Be sure to reserve some of the soup to make mini Turkey Pot Pies!

Delicious soup! My family loved it and this is one I’ll be making year after year. My daughter already asked for the recipe. Thanks Hilda!
—Nancy

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This post was originally posted on 11/16/2018 and was updated with more pictures and instructions on 11/29/19.

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