What can I say, this is a classic but, as usual, I put my own twist on it by tossing in some fresh dill. Have you ever tried fresh dill in a chicken or turkey soup? It's the bomb! Trust me! I made this soup with leftover turkey but you can easily substitute the same amount of cooked chicken. This Hearty Turkey & Vegetable Soup is my ultimate comfort food and I'm sure it's soon to be yours too!
Turkey isn't just for soup. Turn up your turkey game with a Brined and Roasted Turkey Breast or how about this Stuffed Turkey Breast recipe? And if you love dill try my recipe for Creamy Dill Pickle Chopped Salad.
Ingredient List
- onion
- leeks
- carrots
- celery
- garlic
- cooked turkey or chicken
- chicken or turkey stock
- spinach
- dill, fresh (see dry substitute below)
- parsley, fresh (see dry substitute below)
- fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper
Substitutions
- Omit the leeks and add an extra onion or omit the onion and add an extra leek or 2.
- Chicken works perfectly instead of turkey. You can also use ground meat if you like. Add it between Steps 1 & 2. Stir until cooked and then proceed with Step # 2.
- Turkey or vegetable stock can be used instead of chicken.
- Use any hearty leafy green in place of the spinach such as kale, collards, Swiss chard or arugula.
- Frozen spinach can be used instead of fresh, no need to thaw before adding. If using frozen, add in Step 2.
- Substitute with dried herbs instead of fresh by using 4 teaspoons of each in place of the ¼ cup each.
How to make your own turkey or chicken stock.
Don't throw out the carcass after roasting a bird! You don't have to make stock right away either. Just toss it in a bag and into the freezer until you are ready to use it. Then follow my delicious Homemade Chicken Stock recipe to make your own! Not only does it save money but it's also more delicious and nutritious!
Make it Vegetarian
You can convert this recipe to be vegetarian and vegan friendly by replacing the turkey with your favourite cooked beans or lentils and using instead of chicken stock. Add the beans in at Step # 2 in place of the turkey or chicken. Check out my recipe for a delicious and Easy Homemade Vegetable Stock!
Storage
This soup will keep in the fridge for 3- 5 days and can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Other Recipes To Enjoy
📖 Recipe
Hearty Turkey (or chicken) & Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1 small to medium onion, white or yellow, diced
- 2 leeks, white part only, rinsed, cut lengthwise and sliced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 - 3 cups cooked turkey or chicken, shredded or chopped
- 8 cups chicken stock, homemade or store bought (low or no sodium)
- 2 cups spinach, baby or regular with tough stems removed
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped or 4 teaspoon dry
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- juice of half a lemon, or about 2 tablespoons
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt 3 tbsp. olive oil or butter over medium heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add onion, leeks, carrots, celery, and garlic. Stir and cook until vegetables are softened and onions are glossy, about 10 minutes. Add an extra splash of oil if the vegetables start to dry out and lower the heat if they start to brown.
- Add the shredded meat and stock. Stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer. Let simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the spinach, dill, parsley, and fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. this amount will vary depending on how salty your stock is.
Audrey Allen says
This soup was above my expectations! I thought I’d miss the noodles, but with all the flavours, I didn’t miss them at all! Thanks for another great recipe Andrea!
Andrea says
My pleasure Audrey! So happy you enjoyed it!
Sonya says
Fresh and flavourful soup with room for modifications to suit. I pulled my Christmas turkey carcass from the freezer and made stock using onions, but left out the leeks in the soup itself since it's not something I usually buy. I also used frozen chopped spinach as I had it on hand, and pulled ample turkey from the bones. I usually make stock and add turkey and noodles, but this is a nice fresh and colourful alternative to our usual broth.
Rosemary Barry says
Awesome soup! Thank you!
Annie says
Such a delicious and easy to make soup! Nice that I can freeze some for later - thank you!
Jackie says
Love the dill in this soup…this will be my go to after Christmas from now on!
Jose says
Hi Andrea,
We made this lovely soup yesterday. Fortunately we had all the ingredients. We used the Lilydale roasted turkey breast slices from Costco. It is a tasty and easy recipe.
Thank you!
Andrea says
Hi Jose! I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
Lorna says
This soup is a staple in our house. I’ve used chicken or Turkey and it is so simple to make. Loving all our recipes… honestly your website is my recipe go-to and haven’t been disappointed yet!
Cindy says
Delicious. Thanks for all your healthy recipes
Cindy.
Sharone says
Made this for dinner tonight with stock from our Christmas turkey! I had lots of stock so we have a double batch and will freeze it for another day. Love it - delicious and nutritious and it doesn’t get better than that! Love all your recipes - thanks!!