You’ll want to save those leftover turkey bones from the turkey dinner you had the night before, or if you were breaking down a fresh bird, you can also utilize the backs, necks, and any bones that you might not use in the main dishes to make this Slow Cooker Turkey Soup. If you do not have a whole turkey to draw from, you can also purchase turkey necks and backs or other separate portions from your butcher/grocery store – but the point is to stretch your turkey/food dollar so hopefully you will not have to go purchase anything like that!
Slow Cooker Turkey Soup
Ingredients
Turkey bones/carcass Fresh or already cooked
2 Carrots
2 Celery stalks
¼ Onion, diced
2 tsp Poultry seasoning
2 tsp Seasoned salt
1 tsp Garlic powder (or ½ tsp fresh)
2 tsp Thyme
4 C Chicken broth or water
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
**This step is purely optional but highly recommended. Take all the turkey bones (fresh or cooked), and season the bones with HALF the poultry seasoning, salt, thyme and garlic powder. Baking the bones adds a richness to your broth that you cannot achieve simply from starting out with unbaked bones. Place seasoned bones on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake the bones until brittle (approximately ¾ – 1 hour).
1. Place all the bones (and juices collected from the baking sheet) in the slow cooker. Add the broth/water. Depending on the size of your cooker, you may have to add a bit more broth/water. You want the bones to be mostly covered so they can simmer.
2. Turn the cooker to high and let cook for 2 – 3 hours. After that time, give the broth/bones a stir and turn down to low. Cook for a minimum of 6 – 8 hours.
3. After 8 hours, strain the solids from the broth. Often times there is a lot of meat that can be separated from the bones. Feel free to reserve this meat (away from the skin and gristle ) to use in your soup.
4. Chop your vegetables (carrots, celery and onion). Add these to the broth along with the meat if you are using it. You can choose to also add stewed tomatoes, small chopped potatoes, etc. if you wish at this point. Use this opportunity to re-season your soup again with the remaining spices SHOULD YOU NEED TO. You might find that the seasoning is perfect for you without the additional seasonings.
6. Let cook on high for ½ hour. Test for softness of the vegetables. If they are tender, the soup is ready. As a last minute addition, you can also add a can of cooked beans (butter beans, kidney, pinto, etc.) if you wish, simply wait another 10 minutes after adding them to serve your soup so they can warm through.
Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Turkey Soup
Ingredients
- Turkey bones/carcass Fresh or already cooked
- 2 Carrots
- 2 Celery stalks
- ¼ Onion, diced
- 2 tsp Poultry seasoning
- 2 tsp Seasoned salt
- 1 tsp Garlic powder, or ½ tsp fresh
- 2 tsp Thyme
- 4 C Chicken broth or water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- **This step is purely optional but highly recommended. Take all the turkey bones (fresh or cooked), and season the bones with HALF the poultry seasoning, salt, thyme and garlic powder. Baking the bones adds a richness to your broth that you cannot achieve simply from starting out with unbaked bones. Place seasoned bones on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake the bones until brittle (approximately ¾ - 1 hour).
- Place all the bones (and juices collected from the baking sheet) in the slow cooker. Add the broth/water. Depending on the size of your cooker, you may have to add a bit more broth/water. You want the bones to be mostly covered so they can simmer.
- Turn the cooker to high and let cook for 2 – 3 hours. After that time, give the broth/bones a stir and turn down to low. Cook for a minimum of 6 - 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, strain the solids from the broth. Often times there is a lot of meat that can be separated from the bones. Feel free to reserve this meat (away from the skin and gristle ) to use in your soup.
- Chop your vegetables (carrots, celery and onion). Add these to the broth along with the meat if you are using it. You can choose to also add stewed tomatoes, small chopped potatoes, etc. if you wish at this point. Use this opportunity to re-season your soup again with the remaining spices SHOULD YOU NEED TO. You might find that the seasoning is perfect for you without the additional seasonings.
- Let cook on high for ½ hour. Test for softness of the vegetables. If they are tender, the soup is ready. As a last minute addition, you can also add a can of cooked beans (butter beans, kidney, pinto, etc.) if you wish, simply wait another 10 minutes after adding them to serve your soup so they can warm through.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Liz Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys cooking and baking, food photography, and reading.
Carmen
Saturday 28th of November 2020
I usually wing it (no pun intended) when it comes to making my turkey soup but I came across your recipe and I am going to give it a try. Sounds amazing! I will let you know! Thanks!
Debbie White Beattie
Friday 19th of August 2016
This soup looks really good but I think I'd add a little more like potatoes etc, just to make it a little more filling