This turkey minestrone soup is the coziest dish to make with all those Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey leftovers! It’s delicious, full of good-for-you veggies and ready in just 45 minutes.

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If you’ve been looking for new recipes to try with your leftovers from the Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey, this turkey minestrone soup is definitely something you should try.

We love this soap in our home, and it’s one of the things that I do almost every year when I am snowed under Turkey leftovers.

Besides being a great recipe for the actual leftovers, it’s also great if you have extra turkey stock this time of year.

This turkey minestrone soup has all the staples of a traditional Tuscan minestrone, including a mix of nutritious vegetables, tender small pasta and plenty of Tuscan black kale.

It’s absolute comfort in a bowl, and I love to serve it with Parmesan shavings on top for that authentic Italian taste.

Why you’ll love this turkey minestrone soup

It’s super easy to make with just about any veggies you may have from the holidays.
It works with any kind of turkey meat, being a great choice for those times you want to clean everything off the carcass.
It’s absolutely delicious, and it tastes great the next day, too, so it’s great for meal prep, which comes in handy at busy times of year.

What you’ll need

Turkey meat — Have you noticed that no matter how small your turkey is, you still end up with leftovers? This is where this minestrone comes in handy as you can use every bit of meat from your holiday turkey. You can either shred the meat or cut it into bite-sized cubes.

Vegetables — I always start a minestrone with a mix of onion, carrots and celery as a base and then add some other veggies if I have them on hand. For this turkey minestrone, I opted for zucchini.

Aromatics — Garlic, oregano and basil make this soup absolutely delicious. You can also use thyme or marjoram if you like.

Fresh herbs work great, too, especially if you have some left from cooking over the holiday season. Throw in a bay leaf, too!

Beans — Cannellini beans add extra texture and protein to the minestrone, making it extra nutritious.

Tomatoes — Use the best quality crushed tomatoes you can here because they really make a difference in flavor.

close up photo of a Turkey Minestrone Soup

Pasta — Ditalini are perfect in a minestrone, but you can, of course, use whatever type of small pasta you like.

Stock — If you like to make your own turkey stock from the carcass, this would go great in this recipe.

Pro tip

For an even richer taste, throw in a Parmesan rind while simmering — it will melt down and infuse the broth with amazing flavor!

How to make turkey soup from leftovers

This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos. The full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Heat the olive oil in a pot and sauté onion, carrot, celery, and zucchini until softened. Add the garlic, oregano, basil, and chili flakes, cooking until fragrant.

Turkey Minestrone Soup making instructions

Stir in the cannellini beans, crushed tomatoes, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, add ditalini pasta, and simmer until tender.

adding tomatoes to a Turkey Minestrone Soup

Add the turkey and kale, cover, and simmer for a few more minutes.

Stir in parsley, season to taste, and serve with Parmesan shavings if you like!

Substitutions and variations

Swap the pasta for wild rice or quinoa — just make sure you adjust the cooking times accordingly.
If you’re not a fan of kale, use baby spinach or collard greens instead.
And if you’d like to make this minestrone but you don’t have any turkey leftovers, shredded rotisserie chicken or these air fryer chicken bites work, too!

Recipe tips and notes

After sautéing the veggies, pour in a splash of chicken stock and scrape the bottom of the pot. All those little brown bits are packed with flavor.
Adjust the broth to your liking. If you like it thick and hearty, let it simmer longer. Want it more soupy? Just add a splash of extra stock or water.
Stir a handful of Parmesan straight into the soup before serving. It melts into the broth and makes it rich, creamy, and irresistible!

What to serve with leftover turkey soup

I like to serve this leftover turkey minestrone with a piece of crusty bread, but it also pairs great with Italian breadsticks or simple bread rolls.

Alternatively, make a complete meal out of it and serve the soup with a grilled cheese sandwich.

Leftovers and storage

Let the soup cool down, then pop it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Warm it on the stove over medium heat or microwave a bowl until it’s nice and hot. If it feels a bit thick, just add a splash of water or stock.
Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat. If you can, freeze before adding the pasta—it’ll stay much better that way!

More easy turkey leftover recipes

If you’ve tried this turkey minestrone soup recipe, please rate it and leave a comment below! I’d love to hear how it turned out.

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