Looking for the best Leftover Turkey Soup Recipe? This Southwest Turkey Soup is it! A creamy, spicy broth envelopes leftover turkey, corn, and beans for a hearty turkey soup that tastes NOTHING like Thanksgiving! It is the perfect way to change up those leftovers into something new and delicious. And did I mention this leftover turkey soup is EASY to make as well?!
I prepare this soup with leftover Brined Turkey or leftover Instant Pot Turkey Breast. But of course you can make this soup using leftover Rotisserie Chicken.
Leftover Turkey Soup
When it comes to Thanksgiving. I am always swimming in leftovers! It really doesn’t matter how many last-minute guests we invite or how hungry we are, we always make WAY too much food.
And I love that! Part of my love of Thanksgiving comes from the anticipation of Thanksgiving leftovers.
I love leftover Turkey and Apple Sandwiches and turning leftover Sweet Potato Casserole into Sweet Potato Waffles.
But I also love to recreate my leftovers into something that takes on a completely different flavor profile.
In fact, I am hoping that today’s recipe for Leftover Turkey Soup, inspires you to get a bit more creative with your leftovers than just eating a turkey and mayo sandwich for Black Friday.
This leftover turkey soup is creamy and spicy and full of chunks of shredded turkey. It is a bit like Tortilla Soup in it’s flavor profile, yet just a bit heartier.
Filled with southwestern flavor like cumin and chili powder, this easy soup tastes completely different from Thanksgiving dinner–which sometimes, you are OVER traditional Thanksgiving flavors come Friday!
So grab a spoon and dig in–it will fuel you up whether you spend your day putting up Christmas Decorations, shopping, or spending time with your family.
How to Make Leftover Turkey Soup
This soup is incredibly easy to make, thanks to the fact we are starting out with leftover turkey. And it is versatile as well. You can adapt the spices and ingredients based on what you have at your house. It can also be made on the stove, in the slow cooker and in the Instant Pot.
Stove Top Directions
Cooking this turkey soup on the stove is incredibly fast–perfect for whipping up a quick lunch while decorating the Christmas tree.
- Heat large heavy bottomed stock-pan over medium heat.
- Add in 1/2 tablespoon oil.
- Add in onion and green pepper and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add in chicken stock, beans, corn, turkey, spices and tomatoes.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in cream cheese and heat through.
- Serve with desired toppings.
Slow Cooker Directions
I love making this turkey soup in my crockpot on Black Friday so when I come home from shopping the soup is ready and waiting for me.
- Heat skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add in 1/2 tablespoon oil and saute onions and peppers until softened.
- Add sauteed onions and peppers to slow cooker, along with stock, corn, beans, tomatoes, spices, and leftover turkey.
- Cook high for 4 hours or low 6 hours.
- Add in cream cheese and cook on low for 30 minutes.
- Stir well after 30 minutes.
- Serve with desired toppings.
**If you want to skip sauteing onions and onions, just add raw to slow cooker and omit oil from recipe.
Instant Pot Directions
I have made this Turkey Soup in the Instant Pot before with GREAT results–that happened after I was out shopping WAY too long and forgot to start the soup in my slow cooker before hitting the stores.
- Heat Instant Pot to Saute.
- Once heated, add in 1/2 tablespoon oil and onions and saute onions for 3-4 minutes.
- Add in stock, corn, beans, diced tomatoes, leftover turkey and spices.
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Release pressure naturally.
- Once pressure released, drop cream cheese in the soup and closed lid and let sit for 5 minutes, or until melted into the soup and served it up.
Modifications for Mexican Turkey Soup
- If you aren’t a fan of Turkey, use leftover Rotisserie Chicken.
- I choose to use black beans in this Spicy Turkey Soup, but you can certainly use pinto beans or kidney beans.
- If you would like to make this leftover Turkey Soup dairy-free, omit the cream cheese.
- If you have leftover corn from Thanksgiving, use that–if not, just add in frozen corn or even drained canned corn (with no salt added.)
- Be sure to add cream cheese right at the end of the cooking process, to prevent it from curdling.
- This Southwestern Turkey Soup is delicious topped with corn chips, cilantro, and even shredded cheese if you are feeling so inclined.
More Leftover Turkey Recipes
- Turkey Tetrazzini
- Copycat Panera Roasted Turkey Sandwich
- Turkey Club Wrap
- Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Quesadilla
- Thanksgiving Egg Rolls
This post was originally published in 2017, and updated with new tips in November 2019.
Southwest Turkey Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon oil
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups leftover chopped turkey
- 1 cup leftover corn
- 4 cups black beans (or 2 16 ounce cans, drained)
- 2 15 ounce cans diced rotel tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Heat skillet over medium heat and heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in pan. Add in onion and green pepper and saute for 5 minutes.
- Transfer sauteed veggies to slow cooker and add in stock, beans, corn, seasonings, turkey, and tomatoes.
- Cook on high 4 hours or low 6 hours.
- Add in cream cheese and cook on low for 30 minutes. Stir well after 30 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.
Stove Top Directions
- Heat large stock pan over medium heat and heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in pan. Add in onion and green pepper and saute for 5 minutes.
- Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Once veggies are softened, add in chicken stock, beans, corn, turkey, spices and tomatoes.
- Stir in cream cheese and heat through. Serve with desired toppings.
Instant Pot Directions
- Heat Instant Pot to saute. Add in oil, onions, and peppers and allow veggies to softened, 3-5 minutes.
- Add in stock, tomatoes, beans, corn, seasonings, and turkey and seal instant pot.
- Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Allow pressure to release naturally.
- Once pressure releases, remove lid and add in cream cheese. Place lid back on pressure cooker for 5 minutes (just to heat through). Stir well and serve.
Notes
- If you aren't a fan of Turkey, use leftover Rotisserie Chicken.
- I choose to use black beans in this Spicy Turkey Soup, but you can certainly use pinto beans or kidney beans.
- If you would like to make this leftover Turkey Soup dairy-free, omit the cream cheese.
- If you have leftover corn from Thanksgiving, use that--if not, just add in frozen corn or even drained canned corn (with no salt added.)
- Be sure to add cream cheese right at the end of the cooking process, to prevent it from curdling.
- This Southwestern Turkey Soup is delicious topped with corn chips, cilantro, and even shredded cheese if you are feeling so inclined.
- Store this soup in an airtight container for 3 days in the fridge (using cooked turkey that is no more than 2 days old.)
Kristen Chidsey
Latest posts by Kristen Chidsey (see all)
- Creamy and Cheesy Chicken and Rice - January 24, 2020
- Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies - January 23, 2020
- Kale Pasta - January 22, 2020
If you’ve got leftover turkey, you should have a leftover turkey carcass and should make your own turkey bone broth.
That is of course a great idea Linae. You can follow my instructions for chicken stock to make turkey broth if you desire.
Excellent. I used dried great northern beans because that is all I had. I made it in an instant pot. I cooked the beans in the instant pot first then followed the instant pot instructions above for the soup. I only had one can of 10 oz can of rotel tomatoes so I add that and two 14.5 ounce cans of tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano. I used 4 chicken bullion cubes with 3.5 cups of water for my chicken stock. I had 6oz. of cream cheese open so I just added all of that at the end. Be sure to stir after adding the cream cheese so it melts. I wanted my bowl a little more spicey so I add some Frank’s hot sauce to my bowl of soup. I put shredded pepper jack cheese and diced avocado on top of my bowl of soup. Also put Asian style crunchy noodles on the top. Delicious
Hi Beverly! I am so so glad you enjoyed so much! I love topping this soup with tortilla chips, so I can see how the Asian noodles would be delicious!
Delicious flavor. Really good.
I am so glad you enjoyed Dino 🙂
Just finished dinner and now we have a new after-Thanksgiving tradition! Everyone loved it especially my husband who told me twice that he really liked it. I did have a problem getting the cream cheese to melt even though I took it out of the fridge when I started cooking the soup. Do you use the brick style cream cheese or the stuff in the tub?
I have tried several of your IP recipes and have had wonderful success. Such a blessing to have so many simple, delicious recipes in one place! Thank you!!
Hi Connie! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe so much and my other Instant Pot recipes. That makes my heart so happy 🙂 As for the cream cheese, I use a brick–but at these cooler temperatures I would doubt it would soften in just 20 minutes. I like to have it out for several hours. A quick work around is the place the brick (still wrapped in foil) in warm water while the soup is cooking. Hope that helps.
If I want to use uncooked black beans (as opposed to canned beans), do I need to cook them in the instant pot before adding to the soup?
Yes, Laura I would. Here is my recipe for cooking beans in the instant pot. I hope you enjoy.
Followed instant pot receipe, have chunks of cream cheese, not smooth or creamy at all.
Hi Kim! I am sorry your soup was not smooth. In the future it would help to chunk up your cream cheese and let it get to room temperature.
I made this recipe. I added cheese and a little corn starch slurry to add just a bit of body. I chopped cloves fresh and loved the soup. Great taste and flavor.
That sounds delicious Tim! Thank you for sharing your modifications.
Kristen, I just made this soup since I was looking for a way to use up our leftover Holiday turkey meat. It was perfect just as it is with the right amount of kick and we all added our toppings based on our preferences. My husband and kids LOVED it so this will get added to my rotation and I will probably try it with chicken next time. I love that you included all the instructions for making this with various tools, crockpot, instant, pot, and stove top. Thank you so much you have a fan in me!
Hi Jemekia! I am so glad your family enjoyed this!!! And I personally LOVE this soup with chicken–I bet you all will as well.
Just a question about the instant pot instructions. After you stir in cream cheese do you have to pressurize again for 5 minutes or just stir in the hot soup?
Hi Dave! I just fixed the recipe card–it stated put lid back and pressure cooker….it was suppose to say put lid back ON pressure cooker. You don’t need to add pressurized cook time, just let the soup sit on keep warm for 5 minutes and that will work to break down the cream cheese into the soup. Enjoy!
Thanks for the quick reply. Planning on trying this tomorrow
I hope you enjoy as much as we do Dave! Thanks!
Easy and really delicious! Great for a weekday meal.
Here are the few (mostly inconsequential) modifications I made:
– used my own taco seasoning made up of onion, garlic & chili powders, cumin & salt
– puréed half of the tomatoes
– no peppers or onions (I’m not crazy about raw onions in slow cooker and didn’t have time to cook first)
– halved the beans
– doubled the turkey
– used a small amount of non-dairy cream cheese
– topped with broken tortilla chips, avocado & shredded cheese
So glad you enjoyed this Nalini! And I agree, these changes were minor and perfect for suiting your families needs 🙂
Okay, YUM. This looks seriously amazing- and so much better than your typical post-Thanksgiving cold turkey sandwiches.
Oh thanks so much Karly 🙂
This soup is a perfect way to use up that Thanksgiving turkey. I love the addition of the beans to give this soup great flavor and heartiness.
What a great way to use up leftover turkey with flavors completely different from the original meal!
Totally different than the big meal 🙂
Great idea for the leftover turkey!! I much prefer soup to sandwiches, thanks for sharing!
I hope you find this soup comforting and filling 🙂
Looks so delicious Kristen, love the different flavors you’ve got going here… definitely a whole different feel than the Thanksgiving Day menu. Looks like the perfect day after Thanksgiving soup!
Thanks Allie! It is a meal that surely won’t taste like Thanksgving Day 🙂
Dear Kristen, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, so that makes two of us! This southwest turkey soup sounds delicious and right up my alley. I could even go for a warm bowl this morning. Have a beautiful and blessed holiday with your family. xo, Catherine
Thanks Catherine. I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family as well.
Yum! Nice way to spice up that leftover turkey!
Thanks David.