Turkey Noodle Soup (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)

This Turkey Noodle Soup is hearty, comforting and works great with leftover turkey! Includes tips for making with turkey carcass, as well as Instant Pot and Slow Cooker tips.

Table of Contents

1. How to make turkey stock using a turkey carcass:
2. How to make this Turkey Noodle Soup in the Instant Pot:
3. Variations on this Turkey Noodle Soup:
4. Tools I used to test this recipe:
5. Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe

It’s no secret, but I feel like I have to lead with this every time I post a soup recipe:

I. Love. Soup.

I love it big time.

Even better? Is cooking up a whole turkey or chicken or ham, and having the easiest homemade turkey stock (or chicken or ham…).

I pretty much always make this turkey noodle soup with leftover turkey, because it’s just so easy (and if I used this Crockpot Turkey with Garlic Butter recipe, I’ll make the stock overnight without even washing the slow cooker in between! You won’t tell anyone, will you??).

I’ll admit, I’m bad about keeping bones for stock in the freezer.

But, if I just make it right away and plan on soup for the next day’s dinner, it always happens.

And it is always a soul-warming, ailment-healing experience that I don’t ever regret. Homemade turkey noodle soup with homemade turkey stock is one of the best things you can do for yourself on a cold day!

How to make turkey stock using a turkey carcass:

I am not going to provide an actual recipe for making turkey carcass soup or stock because it’s going to be different for everyone.

The size of the turkey is different, the veggies you have lying around are different, the seasonings you prefer are different.

Personally, I am not great about keeping vegetable scraps in the freezer for stock. So I throw in what I have, but since I always add tons of vegetables in my turkey noodle soup, I don’t worry about missing out on that flavor much.

If I don’t have any vegetable scraps, I will chop up on onion, and maybe throw in a large carrot and a rib of celery, along with salt, pepper, garlic, and a variety of herbs like parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano or basil.

Then I will let it cook overnight or all day in the slow cooker.

Strain the bones and vegetables, and you can use it right away or refrigerate for later.

If you refrigerate until cold, any fat in the stock will float to the top and solidify so you can easily remove it if you like.

How to make this Turkey Noodle Soup in the Instant Pot:

I pretty much always make soup in the Instant Pot — it’s so easy, and quick, and has the same great flavor!

• Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot (yes, all!) and stir.
• Put the lid on, select pressure cook or manual, high, and set the cook time for 3 minutes.
• It will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure and begin counting down.
• Once the cook time is over, let pressure release naturally for 7-10 minutes, then gradually open the valve to release remaining pressure.
• Serve.

Variations on this Turkey Noodle Soup:

• You can make this Turkey Noodle Soup gluten-free by using gluten-free noodles and double checking all of your packages.
• If you prefer, you can swap the noodles for rice to make a turkey rice soup, and that is a good substitute for gluten-free pasta if you need one. If you use instant rice, add it for the last 5-10 minutes in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. If you’re using long grain rice, you will likely want to add it at the beginning of the cook time.
• This turkey soup is naturally dairy free.

• 

Tools I used to test this recipe:

With so many sizes and models of slow cookers and Instant Pots on the market and all of them performing slightly differently, I feel like it’s important to share what I have used to make this recipe so you can adjust if needed.

• I have the 6 quart Instant Pot with bluetooth. I don’t use the bluetooth for much but it is handy if you’re in another room while it’s cooking.
• I use my 6 quart slow cooker to make my Crockpot Turkey recipe (the link is above!), and I just throw the bones right back in to make turkey stock for soup afterwards. It’s a great large size! It also has a meat probe which is perfect for cooking turkey and other meats!