This recipe for smoked turkey soup with white beans and veggies is a hearty, nutritious, and delicious way to use leftover smoked turkey.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- It’s so easy to make! Most of the cooking time is actually just the soup simmering to really bring out the flavors.
- This is a great recipe for leftover smoked turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. It’s warm and hearty, and way better than another boring turkey sandwich.
- It’s a perfect freezer meal. Prepare the soup as instructed, and let it cool completely. Store it in an airtight container (or in a zippered freezer bag laid flat on a shelf) and freeze for up to six months.
Smoked Turkey Soup Ingredients
Smoked Turkey Meat – Specifically the meat from smoked turkey legs. It’s tender, juicy, and tastes a little like ham. Smoked turkey has a deeper, richer flavor than roasted turkey thanks to the use of smoke and the long cooking time. Turkey legs are generally available at most grocery stores, or you can check with a local butcher.
Great Northern Beans – A white bean similar to cannellini, Great Northern beans are high fiber, low fat, and have no cholesterol. They taste a little nutty and they’re super versatile. If you can’t find Great Northern beans, you can use Navy beans or cannellini beans for this recipe, though the flavor will be slightly different.
How to Make Smoked Turkey Soup
The full recipe & ingredients list are below, but here you’ll find a quick overview for making this recipe perfectly, along with useful tips and info!
Whipping up this incredible smoked turkey soup could not be easier! Basically you just sauté all the ingredients in a large pot over medium heat, then bring it all to a boil with the chicken broth. Let everything simmer for at least 45 minutes and serve hot over a cup of cooked rice!
Chef’s Tips
- Before cooking, separate the turkey meat from the bones and skin, and cut or shred the meat into bite sized pieces. Sometimes meat that was exposed during the smoking process will be tough and leathery – cut that away, too.
- This recipe uses canned beans to keep things easy, but you can absolutely use fresh beans instead. You’ll need to soak dry beans in water for at least 8 hours to ensure they cook properly.
- Smoked turkey meat adds a beautiful flavor to this soup, but whatever turkey meat you have on hand will work!
- For more fiber and protein, use wild rice in your smoked turkey soup. It’s also a great source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- 45 minutes is the minimum amount of time needed for this recipe to simmer on the stove. The longer it simmers, the more flavorful it will be!
What Do We Mean By “Healthy?”
Our recipes focus on real ingredients and homemade elements. We try to avoid processed flour and sugar, like white flour or white sugar. Our recipes often swap less healthy options (like a commercial, deep-fried tostada) for an easy homemade version.
Our recipes are not necessarily low fat or low calorie, and we aren’t afraid of fat or carbs! Some of our recipes will be “skinny,” low carb, keto, paleo, dairy free, grain free, gluten free, Whole30, or vegan, and they will be labeled when they qualify for any of these diets. All our recipes are easy and family friendly!
More Amazing Soup Recipes
- Keto Egg Drop Soup
- Cheeseburger Soup (Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-Free)
- Gluten-Free Cream of Chicken Soup
- Bison Chili
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
We hope you loved this recipe as much as we did! We’d love for you to give us a star ★ rating below, and follow us on Instagram! For more delicious, healthy recipes, be sure to check out 40 Aprons.
Smoked Turkey Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 cup carrots thinly sliced
- 2 smoked turkey legs
- 1 can Great Northern beans drained
- 4 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup cooked rice see Note
Instructions
- Sauté garlic and onion in oil over medium heat until translucent.
- Add thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, carrots, and celery. Cook 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add meat from smoked turkey legs and cook 3-5 minutes.
- Mix in beans. Add chicken broth and bring to boil.
- Boil 10 minutes. Cover with lid and simmer 45 minutes or longer. Serve with one cup of cooked rice.
Notes
- If you don’t eat rice, you can use sweet potato rice or cauliflower rice, or just omit this entirely. Skipping the rice makes this recipe very low carb!
- Nutritional information shown below does not include rice.
