Southwest Leftover Turkey Soup

4.91 from 71 votes

Southwest Leftover Turkey Soup

Made with a creamy, spicy broth, leftover turkey, corn, and black beans, this easy turkey soup is full of flavor and incredibly simple to make.

Prep Time5

Cook Time4

Total Time4 5

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

½ tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
1 medium green bell pepper diced
1 small yellow onion diced
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock or turkey stock
2 cups cooked turkey chopped or shredded
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans rinsed and drained
2 (10.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

Instructions

Slow Cooker Instructions

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add the diced onion and green pepper and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion is softened.
Transfer the sautéed onion and peppers to a slow cooker. Stir in the stock, beans, corn, seasonings, turkey, and tomatoes. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
Remove the lid, add the cubed cream cheese, and cook on low heat for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir well to incorporate the cream cheese into the broth. Serve with desired toppings.

Stove Top Directions

Heat the oil in a large stock pan over medium heat. Add the diced onions and green peppers to the oil and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onions have softened. Stir in the chicken stock, beans, corn, turkey, spices, and tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Keep in mind you may need to add an additional cup of stock if you notice too much liquid evaporating as the soup cooks. After simmering, stir in cream cheese and heat through until creamy and well combined. Serve with desired toppings.

Instant Pot Directions

Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté and add oil to heat. Once heated, add the onions and peppers and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the veggies soften. Once softened, turn the Instant Pot OFF. Add in the stock and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, corn, seasonings, and turkey. Seal the Instant Pot lid and set to cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally. Once the pressure is released, remove the lid and add in cream cheese. Place the lid back on the pressure cooker for 5 minutes (just to heat through). Stir the cubed cream cheese into the soup and serve.

Video

Notes

Turkey: Feel free to swap with leftover cooked chicken. It is also important to enjoy turkey within 4 days of preparation (or within 4 days of thawing if frozen).

Beans: Feel free to swap black beans for pinto beans or kidney beans, or swap the canned beans for 2½ cups cooked black beans, made with my Instant Pot Beans recipe.

Note on Cream Cheese: Ensure your cream cheese is at room temperature for a smooth melt. Even better? Ladle ½ cup of the soup broth into a blender with the cream cheese, blend, add back to the slow cooker and heat through.

Dairy-Free: Simply omit the cream cheese from the soup.

Storage: Store this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4 days past the time your turkey (not the soup) was cooked or thawed. Freezing is not recommended due to the addition of cream cheese.

Nutrition