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Turkey Noodle Soup

By Snejana Andreeva

on Oct 09, 2022, Updated Oct 08, 2023

My turkey 🦃 noodle soup is the ultimate comfort food, and the perfect way to repurpose roast turkey leftovers . Each year, our Thanksgiving table is full of delicious dishes, but making soup from leftovers is one of my favorite ways to enjoy the flavors of the holiday . I never throw out any turkey meat or bones 🦴 because it makes for the most incredible and nutritious soup 🍲.

• Why You’ll Love Turkey Noodle Soup:
• How to Prepare This Turkey Noodle Soup:
• Variations and Substitutions For This Turkey Noodle Soup:
• Best Served With:
• Similar Recipes:
• Other Holiday Recipes:
• Common Questions:
• Turkey noodle soup Recipe

Why You’ll Love Turkey Noodle Soup:

This turkey noodle soup 🍲 recipe is not only a brilliant way to transform your Turkey dinner leftovers into a delicious, hearty meal but also a way to reduce food waste while stretching the holiday festivities even further.

The rich, savory broth infused with the roasted turkey 🦃 provides a delicious foundation for the soup, while the tender shreds of turkey meat are a perfect source of protein. The addition of hearty noodles brings a satisfying and comforting element to the dish, making it a perfect choice for chilly days during the fall season 🍂.

Moreover, this soup is incredibly versatile , allowing you to customize it with your favorite vegetables and seasonings to suit your personal taste 🤌.

How to Prepare This Turkey Noodle Soup:

To prepare this heartwarming turkey noodle soup 🍲, start by heating some olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat . As the oil shimmers, add in finely diced onions, carrots, and celery, and then sauté them for approximately 5 minutes , allowing their flavors to melt together.

Next, toss in minced garlic 🧄, stirring it in for about 30 seconds until it becomes fragrant. Now, it’s time to introduce the star of the show – those leftover cooked turkey bones 🦴. Pour in a mixture of water and broth , bringing everything to a gentle boil . Season generously with a pinch of salt 🧂 and some freshly ground black pepper , then reduce the heat to medium and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes allowing all those flavors to come together.

After the simmer, remove and discard the turkey bones 🦴, ensuring no stray bones remain in the broth. Add the pasta to the pot, along with the shredded or chopped leftover turkey meat . Don’t forget to also taste and adjust the salt 🧂 as needed .

Simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until the pasta reaches its desired level of doneness. Finally, garnish with fresh parsley 🌿 and, for an extra burst of flavor, serve with a squeeze of freshly squeezed lemon 🍋 juice .

Variations and Substitutions For This Turkey Noodle Soup:

This soup is incredibly adaptable . Here are a few ways to make it your own, depending on your taste preferences or the ingredients you have in your kitchen:

• If you’re making this after Thanksgiving, and you have a bunch of leftover roasted veggies , you can chop 🔪 them all up , and add them to the soup. Bite-size, roasted squash makes a lovely addition.
• You can also make this soup with a leftover roast chicken 🍗, if you’ve saved the bones and some chicken meat.
• Gluten-free folks can use gluten-free pasta instead, as well as cooked white or wild rice 🍚.
• Instead of chopping the vegetables, feel free to add them whole. After 30 minutes you can discard the bones and blend the vegetables with some of the broth, then pour the blended mixture back into the soup . This is my hidden veggie method , which can be used with any vegetable broth based soup 🍲.
• You can cook the pasta separately as it will thicken and expand in the soup the following day.
• You can also place the turkey bones 🦴 in a cheese cloth before adding them to the soup. This will save you from having to fish out stray bones from the broth afterward.

Best Served With:

• A warm baguette 🥖, dinner rolls, or a slice of hearty artisan bread makes for an excellent side. My No Knead Peasant Bread is perfect for dipping into the savory broth.
• A stack of crackers , whether plain or seasoned, can add a satisfying crunch to your soup.
• A classic grilled cheese sandwich 🥪 with gooey melted cheese between crispy bread pairs exceptionally well with turkey noodle soup.

Similar Recipes:

• Easy Vegetable Broth Pastina Soup
• Hidden Veggie Chicken Noodle Soup
• Hidden Veggie Orzo Soup

Other Holiday Recipes:

• Gravy
• Juicy Turkey
• Mac and Cheese
• Stuffing
• Sweet Potato Donuts
• Pumpkin Pie
• Brussels Sprouts
• Sweet Potatoes
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Squash
• Cranberry Sauce
• Butternut Squash Pasta
• Baked Apples
• Mushrooms
• Green Beans
• Whole Roasted Sweet Potato

Common Questions:

Yes, you can certainly use a homemade or store-bought rotisserie chicken in place of turkey.

Yes, this is still a delicious veggie and pasta soup on its own, without the poultry bones or meat.

Leftover soup can be refrigerated for 3-4 days in an airtight container. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months for longer storage. Thaw and reheat as needed.

Yes, feel free to add vegetables like peas, corn, spinach, or green beans to customize the soup to your taste.

You can break angel hair pasta or capellini into little pieces like I did . Orzo will also work beautifully in this soup.

You can use any gluten-free pasta or rice instead .

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Video

Equipment

• ▢ Medium Pot

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 yellow onion , finely diced
• ▢ 1 carrot , finely diced
• ▢ 1 celery rib , finely diced
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves , minced
• ▢ salt and pepper , to taste
• ▢ bones , leftover cooked turkey bones
• ▢ 4 cups water
• ▢ 4 cups vegetable broth , unsalted
• ▢ 1 cup pasta , broken into bite-size pieces (I used broken up capellini)
• ▢ 1 cup leftover turkey meat , shredded or chopped (as much as you like)
• ▢ fresh parsley , for garnish
• ▢ lemon juice , for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• ▢ Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and let cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir, about 30 seconds.
• ▢ Add the leftover cooked turkey bones, water, and broth. Let everything come to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt, season with pepper, reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for 30 minutes.
• ▢ After 30 minutes, remove and discard the turkey bones. Add any pasta of choice. Add the shredded or chopped leftover turkey meat and always taste and adjust for salt. Don’t forget to be careful and discard any small bones as they can fall in the broth.
• ▢ Boil the soup for 5 to 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked, garnish with parsley and enjoy with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

My Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Turkey noodle soup

Equipment

• Medium Pot

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion finely diced
• 1 carrot finely diced
• 1 celery rib finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• bones leftover cooked turkey bones
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups vegetable broth unsalted
• 1 cup pasta broken into bite-size pieces (I used broken up capellini)
• 1 cup leftover turkey meat shredded or chopped (as much as you like)
• fresh parsley for garnish
• lemon juice for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and let cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir, about 30 seconds.
• Add the leftover cooked turkey bones, water, and broth. Let everything come to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt, season with pepper, reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, remove and discard the turkey bones. Add any pasta of choice. Add the shredded or chopped leftover turkey meat and always taste and adjust for salt. Don’t forget to be careful and discard any small bones as they can fall in the broth.
• Boil the soup for 5 to 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked, garnish with parsley and enjoy with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Video

Nutrition

Turkey noodle soup https://themodernnonna.com/turkey-noodle-soup/ October 9, 2022

Home › Recipes › Cookies & Snacks

Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

By Snejana Andreeva

on Dec 15, 2022, Updated Nov 08, 2023

My lemon cheesecake thumbprint cookies melt in your mouth . This recipe is one of those recipes that you’ll need to triple, because it’s THAT good. 🍋Whether you’re a lemon lover or simply looking for a unique and delicious cookie, these Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies are a must-try. They’re perfect for any occasion, from a casual afternoon tea to a fancy dessert spread.

• Why You’ll Love Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
• How to Prepare
• Nonna’s Tip 🍋
• Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies Variations and Substitutions
• Other Holiday Recipes
• More Holiday Cookies
• Common Questions
• Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

Why You’ll Love Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

These lemon cheesecake thumbprint cookies are ideal for anyone who cannot tolerate 🥚 eggs as they are completely egg-free . The dough takes 5 minutes to whip up, so these cookies are easy enough for anyone who is not even a baker. They’re only 5 ingredients , which you probably already have on hand. I can honestly say that this is one of those cookie recipes that you cannot get enough of.

How to Prepare

🥣 Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer and bowl to cream butter and cream cheese for about 2 minutes until smooth.

🍋 Add sugar and lemon extract and mix until smooth . Then add flour, and mix until a sticky dough forms. Scrape down the sides to fully incorporate any remaining flour.

🧊 Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

🥄 Remove dough from the refrigerator, use a small ice-cream scooper to portion the cookies, rolling each in a touch of flour to prevent sticking.

🍓 Place rolled cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper . Flatten each with your thumb, creating an indent, and add a teaspoon of preferred jam/preserve to the center.

🔥 Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the lemon cheesecake thumbprint cookies for 13-15 minutes or until the edges are light and golden brown .

❄️ Allow the cookies to cool completely and optionally dust with icing sugar. They can be stored at room temperature for up to a week.

Nonna’s Tip 🍋

You MUST refrigerate the cookie dough for at least one hour and you have to use a touch of flour to roll each one as they will stick.

Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies Variations and Substitutions

• Try adding a decorative topping like chopped nuts or a sprinkle of coarse sugar for holiday decoration.
• I have not tried this recipe with gluten-free flour , but feel free to experiment with a gluten-free 1-1 replacement and let me know how it goes!
• Instead of lemon extract , you could try almond, vanilla, orange or another you have on hand.
• Feel free to experiment with different jams or preserves , for example, you could use strawberry, raspberry, apricot or even marmalade.
• You could try dairy-free or vegan alternatives to the butter and cream cheese if you or your guests have allergies.

Other Holiday Recipes

Antipasti Christmas Wreath

10 mins

Holiday Butter Board

20 mins

Holiday Candy Cane Prosecco

5 mins

Holiday Cheese Board

20 mins

More Holiday Cookies

Looking for an even fancier-looking cookie? Try my puff pastry cookies .

Easy Gingerbread Cookies

3 hrs 23 mins

Italian Amaretti Cookies

25 mins

3 Ingredient Sugar Cookies

20 mins

Shortbread Butter Cookies

27 mins

Common Questions

Feel free to use any jam or preserve you enjoy. I love fig or apricot but you are more than welcome to use any you have on hand.

The lemon extract is optional so don’t worry if you don’t have any on hand. You can also use pure vanilla extract, or almond extract, or leave them plain. Or, if you don’t have pure lemon extract, but still want the flavor, you can also use the zest of a lemon in the recipe.

You MUST refrigerate the cookie dough for at least one hour and you have to use a touch of flour to roll each one as they will stick.

Feel free to freeze the cookie dough tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and shape as usual.

The cream cheese and butter must be softened in order for the cookies to bake correctly.

You can use salted or unsalted butter. I have made them with both and both results are delicious.

While 1 cup of flour weighs 160g in my kitchen, it might weigh anywhere from 120 to 180g in your kitchen and there’s a few reasons for that. The weight of ingredients may vary due to the brand of ingredients, the brand and style (wet vs dry) of measuring cups and spoons, and the technique for measuring into cups: scooping and leveling versus spooning the ingredients into the cup measure. For best results, go by the weight listed in the recipe.

A New Recipe Card!!

1. Check off each step in instructions!
2. Add ingredients to your shopping list!

Video

Equipment

• ▢ Measuring Cups + Spoons
• ▢ Mixing Bowls
• ▢ Baking Sheet
• ▢ Parchment Paper

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup cream cheese , softened
• ▢ ½ cup white sugar
• ▢ 1 stick softened salted butter
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoons lemon extract , optional if you don’t have any on hand
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour , + 2 extra tablespoons for rolling the balls
• ▢ 18 teaspoons jam , I used fig preserve

Instructions

• ▢ In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together for about 2 minutes or until smooth. You can also use a hand-held mixer and a bowl as well.
• ▢ Once creamy, add the sugar and lemon extract and mix until smooth. Add in the flour and mix until a sticky dough forms. If there’s any flour on the sides, you can scrape it down and mix again until fully incorporated.
• ▢ Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. After an hour, take out the dough, remove the plastic and use a small ice-cream scooper to scoop out the cookies. I scoop each cookie, roll it in a touch of flour as it will stick to your hands if you don’t.
• ▢ Repeat this step for all 18 cookies. Place each rolled cookie onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press each one down with your thumb to make an indent. Add a teaspoon of any jam/preserve you like to the middle.
• ▢ Preheat the oven to 350F and bake until the edges are light and golden brown. This should take 13-15 minutes depending on the oven.
• ▢ Let them cool completely and optionally dust with icing sugar. These are perfectly stored at room-temp for up to a week.

My Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.