This creamy turkey soup with quinoa is easy to make and is a healthy and hearty way to repurpose leftover turkey or chicken.

Two servings of turkey soup in white bowls with handles, garnished with fresh herbs.
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Turkey time is coming which means leftover turkey time is coming! Leftovers are almost even more amazing than the actual main event on Thanksgiving.

I’m all about a good sandwich but there is something to be said for a comforting, warm bowl of soup. You can snuggle up with a blanket and a mug of soup while everyone else is Black Friday shopping.

I’m not a huge fan of big crowds so I prefer a leisurely relaxed morning. If you are a Black Friday shopper, this soup will be the perfect thing to relax with when you get home. It doesn’t take long to make, and the warm, smooth creamy base will help you relax after battling crowds for that great deal on a TV.

A bowl of soup garnished with fresh parsley on wooden cutting board.

About this Creamy Turkey Soup with Quinoa

This soup comes together quickly – all you have to do is dice some vegetables, mince some herbs, and stand over a nice warm stove for a little while. The quinoa cooks right in the soup so you only need to make one pan dirty. It’s great leftover too. Leftovers of leftovers – less cooking for you!

Closeup of soup in bowl.

PS: If you don’t have leftover turkey for this creamy turkey soup with quinoa, it works great with chicken too. Maybe if you have some frozen cooked chicken breasts? Or make it with a rotisserie chicken too – it’s perfect!

Overhead of soup in bowl with parsley.

More soup recipes

Recipe

Creamy Turkey Soup with Quinoa

5 from 4 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
This creamy turkey soup with quinoa is easy to make and is a healthy and hearty way to repurpose leftover turkey or chicken.
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Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 large onion, diced (a heaping cup)
  • 2 cups chopped celery
  • 2 cups chopped carrots
  • 6 cups diced leftover turkey
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley
  • 3 large fresh sage leaves (2 teaspoons minced)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups no salt added chicken stock
  • 3 cups water
  • 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • milk or water as necessary to thin soup

Instructions 

  • In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add turkey, parsley, sage, thyme, chicken stock, and water. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, add quinoa and stir. Reduce heat to medium and continue to simmer rapidly until quinoa is cooked – 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You should see “tails” appear on the quinoa.
  • Remove from heat and slowly add milk while stirring soup. Return to low heat to reheat if needed. If desired, use more milk or water to achieve a thinner soup. We love it thick!

Notes

  • Use chicken instead of turkey, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 8, Calories: 348kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 124mg, Sodium: 471mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!

**Disclosure: I am thrilled to be a dairy ambassador for Milk Means More.  I have been compensated by Milk Means More for my time to develop this recipe and write this post. All opinions are as always, my own. Find out more about why Milk Means More on TwitterFacebookYouTubeInstagram and Pinterest.

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5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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13 Comments

  1. Trish says:

    5 stars
    Hands down! Best soup I’ve ever made. I made my own broth by simmering left over turkey carcus, onion, carrots, celery, and a lot of “Better than Bouillon” chicken. Also added rosemary and used at least 2 cups of milk at the end and more bullion to taste

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      So glad you liked it! Thank you for leaving a review!

  2. Patsy K says:

    We are staying with our daughter, SIL and new granddaughter so I am looking for easy recipes I can either fix or leave for them for the next few weeks, since the grand came a couple of weeks early and they hadn’t totally prepared all they wanted to have done. This sounds right up their alley!!

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      I hope everyone loves it!

  3. Verna Buchanan says:

    Thank you for this delicious sounding soup! Definitely making it as soon as I get the quinoa! Hope your holiday wad great. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      I hope you love it!

  4. Monique @ Ambitious Kitchen says:

    Love how easy this soup looks. And how creamy is it too. It reminds me of Minnesota comfort food. :)

  5. Nicole says:

    Yum! This looks perfect for my leftover turkey taking up all the room in my fridge!

  6. Auntiepatch says:

    I love turkey leftovers! We out for Thanksgiving and later in the week buy and cook our own turkey. Best of both worlds.

  7. fabiola@notjustbaked says:

    This soup simply makes me happy. Leftovers are my most favorite part of Thanksgiving! So making this.

  8. naomi says:

    I love this so much – healthy and creamy – perfect for soup season!

  9. Aggie @ Aggie's Kitchen says:

    I was starting to panic that my turkey wasn’t big enough this year because I love turkey leftovers so much! So I bought an extra turkey breast just in case. :) This soup looks so delicious, love the addition of quinoa!

  10. Bethany @ Athletic Avocado says:

    My parents always buy a huge turkey that could feed a small army and we always have tons of leftovers!! Id love to make this delicious soup with the leftovers!