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Home-style turkey soup

April 24, 2026
Recipe

Use the turkey leftovers from a holiday meal or family gathering to make a hearty, low-sodium turkey soup.

Serves 10

To limit sodium content, this recipe uses low-sodium chicken broth and unsalted canned tomatoes.


In a large stockpot, combine the turkey carcass, water, broth and quartered onion. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Strain the mixture, discarding the carcass and onion. Chill the liquid in the refrigerator overnight, if possible, and skim off the fat from the broth's surface.

Return the liquid to the stockpot. Add the soup ingredients to the broth mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 1 hour. Scoop into individual bowls and serve right away.


For the broth:

  • 1 turkey carcass
  • 4 cups water
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 large onion, quartered

For the soup:

  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1 cup diced peeled rutabaga or turnip
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 4 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup uncooked pearl barley
  • 1 can (14 ounces) unsalted tomatoes
  • 1 can (16 ounces) white beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 pound leftover light turkey meat, cut into bite-size chunks

DASH Eating Plan Servings

Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free) Fats and oils Fruits Grains and grain products 1 Meats, poultry and fish 1 Nuts, seeds and dry beans Sweets 2 Vegetables

Diabetes Meal Plan Choices

Fats Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free) Fruits Meat and meat substitutes Milk and milk products Nonstarchy vegetables Starches Sweets, desserts and other carbohydrates

Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid Servings

Carbohydrates Fats Fruits 1 Protein and dairy Sweets 1 1/2 Vegetables

Nutritional analysis per serving

Calcium 151 Calories 23 g Total carbohydrate 20 mg Cholesterol 5 g Dietary fiber trace Monounsaturated fat Potassium 13 g Protein 0.5 g Saturated fat 2 cups Serving size 268 mg Sodium 1 g Total fat