This Turkey Lentil Soup is the perfect way to use up leftover turkey; it's beautifully balanced against earthy lentils and hints of heat from fire-roasted tomatoes.
I LOVE this soup. It's so cozy and rich, full of umami. It's got a gentle heat from the fire-roasted tomatoes in Rotel that's beautifully balanced against the earthy lentils. The turkey absorbs all of those delicious flavors and becomes incredibly tender as the lentils cook. I like to add Yukon Gold potatoes towards the end of cooking time to round out the soup with bites of comforting carbs.
Keep on scrolling for a Turkey Lentil Soup recipe worth saving. If you love soups, you've got to also try my creamy and zesty beef taco soup or easy potato soup next!
Why You Will Love This Leftover Turkey Soup Recipe
- Great Way to Use Up Leftover Turkey. This is now officially my go-to soup for leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Plus, it's a surefire way to repurpose turkey that may have wound up a little dry, despite your best efforts to produce a moist bird. If you have more leftover turkey, try these turkey tacos to use it up.
- Not Your Average Turkey Soup. We're pairing it with earthy lentils, zippy canned tomatoes, and hearty chunks of potatoes.
- Great to Make Ahead. Like all soups, this turkey soup is a dream to freeze and reheat for a quick meal when you need it.
Summarize and Save with
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Leftover Turkey Soup Recipe
- Summarize and Save with
- Ingredients
- Spicy Turkey and Lentil Soup Variation
- Soup-er Substitutions
- How to Make Turkey Lentil Soup - Directions
- Top Tips for the BEST Leftover Turkey Soup with Lentils
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Hearty Soup Recipes
- Turkey Lentil Soup
Ingredients
To make this cozy Lentil Soup with Turkey you will need the following ingredients:
- Fresh veggies - yellow onion and garlic are my go-tos for this soup!
- Fire-roasted Rotel tomatoes - fire-roasted tomatoes are SO great here, smoky flavors really bring ho-hum turkey to life.
- Green lentils - I opted for green lentils because they hold their shape well when cooked and take around 45 minutes or so to cook through, giving them plenty of time to simmer and absorb the soup's goodness.
- Leftover turkey - I break this soup recipe out whenever I need to use up leftover turkey; especially when I need a break from turkey sandwiches.
- Chicken broth - I like chicken broth for that bird-on-bird action, but you could also use vegetable or beef broth.
- Yukon Gold potatoes - Yukon Golds tend to hold their shape well in this soup, and that's why I reach for them time and again.
Makes 6-8 hearty servings.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
Spicy Turkey and Lentil Soup Variation
If you want to pump up the heat, try these tips to achieve spicy Turkey Lentil Soup perfection.
- Add 2-3 finely jalapenos; leave the pith on for extra heat!
- Add a few dashes of cayenne pepper and/or red pepper flakes. Add a small amount, then taste and adjust until you reach the level of heat you desire.
- Finish with a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce - I tend to reach for the OG Tabasco or Cholula.
Soup-er Substitutions
Here are a few suggested substitutions you can make if modifications are needed.
- Ro-tel - You can also used crushed tomatoes here instead. A fire-roasted tomato variety are my go-to when I don't have Ro-tel on hand.
- Lentils - Green or brown lentils work best here. Please note that if using brown lentils, they take less time to cook, around 20-30 minutes compared to green's 45-minute cooktime. I do not recommend red lentils, as they do not hold their shape well when cooked. If you don't have lentils on hand but really, really want to make this soup, you can substitute in a 16-ounce can of pinto beans or garbanzo beans.
- Turkey - This soup would be fantastic with ground turkey as well. Or you could swap in shredded chicken, shredded pork, or even shredded beef.
- Chicken broth - I like to use chicken broth along with any leftover turkey drippings in this soup. But you can use whatever broth you like including vegetable or beef.
- Yukon gold potatoes - Yukon golds are an agreeable potato and hold their shape well in this soup. If you want a substitute, I'd go with red potatoes.
Beyond substitutions, feel free to add in other vegetables like sliced carrots, sliced celery, diced red bell pepper, corn (ooo how good would roasted corn be in this soup!), kale, spinach, and more! And why not include fresh or dried herbs like basil, oregano, rosemary, or thyme. Cumin and paprika are amazing spice additions, and you should also consider adding a second protein, like ground chorizo or shredded pork.
How to Make Turkey Lentil Soup - Directions
Here's how you make a large batch of comforting Turkey Lentil Soup - like chili, it's flavor gets even better the next day!
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil shimmers with heat, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring occasionally.
- Add the Rotel tomatoes, lentils, turkey, chicken broth, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally until it simmers.
- Cover partially and simmer, stirring every once in a while, until the lentils are tender, around 50 minutes. It's okay if they aren't quite done at this point since in the next step you'll be adding potatoes and continuing to cook.
- Add the diced potatoes and simmer until tender, 10 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaf. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. I usually use a full-flavored broth (not low sodium), and don't need to add additional salt.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with your favorite carb. Perhaps some crusty bread?
This recipe was adapted from Food & Wine's Lentil Soup with Smoked Turkey.
Hint: If I have leftover turkey drippings from cooking the turkey, I use them in combination with the chicken stock in this recipe. You could also use and make your own cooking broth - try this Instant Pot Beef Bone Broth.
Top Tips for the BEST Leftover Turkey Soup with Lentils
Tip 1. Keep it simple and coax out additional flavor! This cozy soup achieves umami perfection with just a handful of ingredients and minimal seasonings. But you can easily add your own special touches, like making homemade broth or sneaking in a little touch of sage (or other herbs like thyme or rosemary). Or use smoked turkey to give the soup a decidedly smoky flair. Or roast the vegetables (onions, garlic, potatoes) before adding to the soup to contribute a roasty sweetness. Finish the soup with a hit of fresh-squeezed lemon or rice wine vinegar to brighten things up.
Tip 2. White vs. Dark Meat. Or both! This soup is fantastic for using up white meat, especially if your leftover bird needs some help in the moisture department. I like to use a mix of both if possible, though I often opt for preparing a turkey breast since I regularly cook for two.
Tip 3. Pair this soup with an appetizer. While this is a cozy standalone soup, it's also one of those soups that pairs well with a savory appetizer. Try pairing this Lentil and Turkey Soup with Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms, Baked Goat Cheese Tomato Dip, or Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls.
Tip 4. Get the texture you want. This is very much a soup designed to be thinner and brothy like a chicken noodle soup. And the bites of tomato, turkey, and lentils bring the texture. If you want the resulting soup even thinner, add more broth (adding more seasonings if necessary). If you want a creamier, slightly less brothy soup, mash some of the potato and lentils into the soup with a potato masher. OR, use a blender or food processor to blend a cup or so of the soup (try to pick out pieces of turkey the best you can); then add it back to the soup to encourage a thickening that will result in a creamier soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should definitely pair this cozy soup with a complementary carb, like a toasty slice from a baguette or crackers. I like to serve it with Garlic Naan from Trader Joe's (current obsession).
You sure can! Add all of the ingredients (except for the potatoes) to a slow cooker, stir, and cook on High for 5-6 hours and Low for around 8-9 hours. Add the potatoes in towards the end of cooking time, as they will need at least 45 minutes to 1 hour to cook through.
I recommend adding all ingredients to a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot and pressure cook for 15 minutes on High Pressure. Let it natural release for 10 minutes. If you have time, saute the onions and garlic first using the Sauté function for 5 minutes. The total active cooking time is around 30 minutes (including 5 minutes sauté time if cooking onions and garlic first).
You can reheat leftover Turkey Lentil Soup in the microwave or stovetop. To reheat in the microwave, add leftover soup to a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 2 - 3 minutes, depending on how powerful your microwave is. To reheat on the stovetop, add leftover soup to a pot, put a lid on it, and heat over medium-low until warm, around 5 - 8 minutes, stirring every minute or so.
This is a go-to recipe for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey; I simply shred the amount needed for this soup. But for sure you can swap in equal amounts cooked ground turkey for leftover shredded turkey. Simply cook the ground turkey before adding it to the soup.
Store leftover soup in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to five days, or in the freezer for 3-6 months.
If you enjoy turkey, check out this incredible bacon-wrapped turkey porchetta roast.
More Hearty Soup Recipes
Try these other comforting soups!
If you tried this turkey and lentil soup recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Turkey Lentil Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves peeled and finely minced
- 1 10-ounce cans fire-roasted Rotel tomatoes
- 1 cup green lentils rinsed
- 1 pound leftover turkey, shredded into small pieces
- 2 quarts chicken broth (8 cups)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes diced into small cubes, (around 1 ¾ - 2 cups)
- salt to taste (optional)
- black pepper to taste (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil shimmers with heat, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 medium yellow onion
- Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring occasionally.4 large garlic cloves
- Add the Rotel tomatoes, lentils, turkey, chicken broth, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally until it simmers. Cover partially and simmer, stirring every once in a while, until the lentils are tender, around 50 minutes. It's okay if they aren't quite done at this point since in the next step you'll be adding potatoes and continuing to cook.1 10-ounce cans fire-roasted Rotel tomatoes, 1 cup green lentils, 1 pound leftover turkey, shredded into small pieces , 2 quarts chicken broth , 1 bay leaf
- Add the diced potatoes and simmer until tender, 10 minutes.2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
- Discard the bay leaf. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. I usually use a full-flavored broth (not low sodium) and don't need to add additional salt.salt, black pepper
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with your favorite carb.
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