This delicious Turkey Orzo Soup is the best way to use up any leftover Thanksgiving turkey! It’s cozy and comforting, but also really easy and light enough after a big holiday dinner.
It comes together with fresh veggies and that tender orzo pasta, but you can use any type of pasta really. And if you crave this orzo soup year-round like I do, it works perfectly with chicken as well.
The last thing I want to do after Thanksgiving is to make another big meal, therefore easy ways to repurpose leftovers is the way to go! I always have leftover turkey, which is great because I love making this turkey orzo soup! It comes together really quickly in under 30 minutes with minimal prep.
This leftover turkey soup is made with lots of fresh veggies and broth, so it’s light and cozy, just like my rotisserie chicken noodle soup or slow cooker chicken noodle soup! But if you’re in the mood for something creamier, try my Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Soup.
And trust me on this, you’ll want to serve this turkey orzo soup with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice! It adds amazing flavor and brightness that makes this delicious soup even better!
Jump to:
Why I Love This Recipe
- Perfect for leftovers! Whether it’s with leftover turkey or chicken, this is a super versatile soup recipe.
- Light and so flavorful. The fresh veggies and broth make this leftover turkey soup filling without feeling heavy. A splash of the lemon and fresh herbs brighten the broth!
- Quick and easy. So simple and effortless, just what you need after a big holiday spread or even busy weeknights.
Ingredient Notes
Below, I included a few ingredient notes from recipe testing that you might find helpful, plus a few ideas for substitutions.
- Leftover turkey or chicken: Shredded or chopped. Turkey breast or dark meat work great here. Leftover or rotisserie chicken work great too.
- Onion, celery and carrots: This is what I use, but feel free to add any veggies. Other great options are zucchini or green beans.
- Minced garlic, fresh thyme, dried Italian seasoning: These aromatics and herbs build the base that gives the turkey orzo soup so much flavor.
- Better Than Bouillon: This really amplifies flavors like no other! I use the Better Than Bouillon “roasted chicken base.”
- Chicken broth: Rich and savory base for the soup that ties the flavors together.
- Orzo pasta: My favorite pasta to cook with! You can also use ditalini, rotini, or anything similar.
- Fresh lemons and Italian parsley: A fresh squeeze of lemon juice at the end plus fresh parsley make all the difference!
- Olive oil, salt and pepper
As always, ingredient quantities from this leftover turkey orzo soup are listed in the recipe card down below!
How to Make Turkey Orzo Soup
Let me show you how quick and easy it is to make my turkey orzo soup, along with a few helpful tips!
Step 1: In a large pot over medium heat, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté onions, carrots, and celery until softened, about 8 minutes.
Step 2: Add fresh minced garlic, fresh thyme and dried Italian seasoning. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Then, add about 2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon.
Step 3: Next, stir in chicken broth and bring to a simmer. If you’d like, you can add a cup of water to make the broth a bit less concentrated.
Step 4: Add the shredded turkey meat. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 5: Once it comes to a boil, stir in the orzo pasta and simmer for 12-15 minutes or so until the orzo is tender or cooked to taste, with the lid partially covered. Once ready, stir in freshly chopped Italian parsley.
Step 6: Serve your turkey orzo soup with more parsley for garnish, and my secret ingredient: a squeeze of fresh lemon juice!
Tips for Success
- Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice! Along with fresh parsley, it adds so much flavor and a pop of brightness that I absolutely love.
- Feel free to swap the turkey for chicken. Both work really well.
- Use a good quality chicken broth, or homemade broth if you have that. It’s the foundation of the soup, so the richer the flavor, the better the final result.
- Adding a teaspoon or two of Better Than Bouillon adds incredible flavor in addition to all the aromatics. Highly recommended!
- Cook with the lid partially covered. This will prevent the liquids from spilling over, which can happen when cooking pasta.
- Cook orzo until al dente or a little longer if you want the pasta softer. Also, the orzo will continue cooking with the remaining heat just a little more.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, absolutely. Leftover or rotisserie chicken work really well as a direct substitution.
Aside from orzo, small or short pasta is great, such as ditalini, acini di pepe and rotini are great here. Egg noodles are great too!
Absolutely! Green beans, zucchini, spinach, or kale are a few of my favorite add-ins.
Storage, Freezing and Reheating
Storing: Let the soup cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Freezing: This turkey orzo soup freezes so well. Once cooled, it will freeze well for up to 3 months. I’d recommend portioning out the soup into Souper Cubes or smaller freezer-friendly resealable bags.
Reheating: Reheat over the stovetop, adding a splash of broth to loosen it up. You can also reheat directly from frozen in a medium pot over steady medium-low heat.
More Cozy Soups
Love orzo? Try my Broccoli Cheddar Orzo and Lemon Chicken Orzo! They are great quick and easy recipes.
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Leftover Turkey Orzo Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- Olive oil - for sauteeing
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves - roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon - Chicken Base flavor, to taste
- 6 to 7 cups chicken broth - plus more as needed
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 3 cups shredded cooked turkey meat - or leftover chicken
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped Italian parsley
- Lemons - for serving
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat a few generous drizzles of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onions, celery, and carrots until softened, about 8 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, thyme, and Italian seasoning. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Then, stir in 2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon chicken base.
- Add the chicken broth and bring to a low boil.
- Then, add the shredded turkey (or chicken) and orzo pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 12-15 minutes, with the lid partially covered, until the orzo is cooked to your liking. Tip: The orzo will continue cooking with the residual heat, so you can turn off the heat once it's al dente.
- Remove from heat. Stir in a handful of freshly chopped Italian parsley to taste.
- To serve, garnish with more parsley on top and serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice – it adds brightness and flavor to the soup. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cook with the lid partially covered to prevent any spilling when cooking the pasta.
- You can either shred or chop the turkey. Both turkey breast or dark meat work great here – just make sure to fully debone.
- Highly recommended: Serve with fresh parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice!
- To preserve the texture of the orzo, cook until just al dente since it will continue cooking with the residual heat from the hot broth.
- Storing: Let the soup cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- Freezing: Once cooled, freeze for up to 3 months in containers or bags.
- Reheating: Add a splash of broth when reheating over the stovetop, to loosen it up. You can also reheat from frozen in a medium pot over steady medium-low heat.
- Leftover shredded turkey: Shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken
- Orzo: Ditalini, acini di pepe, rotini, egg noodles
- Vegetables: Spinach, kale, zucchini, green beans
- Seasonings: Fresh or dried herbs.
Mary says
I made this with ground turkey because it’s all I had. It was delicious! Making for the second time tonight. The flavor is amazing!
Marie says
Can I use chicken stock instead of broth?
Tania says
Yup!
Shirley says
The best turkey soup I’ve ever made. I simmered the carcass for 4-5 hrs to make the broth. It was delicious.
Deb says
Soup is one of my most favorite foods, this soup is one of my top recipes now. SOOOOO GOOD & easy! Thank you
Judy says
Delicious! Thank you for the recipe. (Check Notes Storing-I believe there is a typo on length of time in fridge?)
Tania says
Thank you so much Judy! And thanks for letting me know, I fixed that!
Erin says
This was so good! I skipped the celery and carrot and just used canned carrots and peas and it was still amazing. Restaurant quality.
Tori says
This is literally my favorite recipe! I made it over Thanksgiving to use my leftover turkey and now I make it once or twice a month! I usually boil and shred chicken to have on hand for lunches and now I make a batch of this while I’m at it! My husband asks for it all the time now! And he’s not much of a soup eater, ha! We love this and such a great, easy go to! I doctor it a little different each time but have found myself loving to add lemon juice while boiling the broth! Sooooo yummm. Thank you!!!
Tania says
Hi Tori! Thank you so much for trying my recipe. I am so happy to hear!!
Carol says
This soup was so good! I only had chicken on hand, but it did the trick! Easy, cozy Monday night soup. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Patti says
I have made chicken soup with orzo before and it sucked up all the broth and got gluey and sludgey. This doesn’t happen here?
Tania says
Hi Patti, try adding more broth. That should do it!
Janet says
Absolutely delicious! I made a pot right after Thanksgiving (with my turkey carcass stock) and my son loved it so much that I have pulled the remaining turkey stock out of the freezer to make another pot. Definitely add that squeeze of lemon juice at the end. It really brightens up the flavors. Thanks for the wonder recipe!
Kelly says
Can I use the turkey carcass?
Tania says
Yes, you can!
The Hungry Homestead says
Outstanding! Best leftover turkey recipe ever!
Dianne says
I discovered this recipe after thanksgiving (Canadian) and it’s absolutely amazing! Will be making it again tonight with my leftover roast chicken. I use Herbs de Provence instead of oregano.
Tania says
Thank you for making it, Dianne! I have also made it with leftover roast chicken and love it!
Alyssa says
Are you kidding me!? This soup was as my husband put it “bomb diggity!” ? The lemon takes it to a whole different level.
Tania says
Thank you for trying my turkey orzo soup recipe! I’m so happy you and your husband loved it! And yes, the lemon makes it so good 🙂
Summer says
Delicious way to use some of our Thanksgiving turkey leftovers! We enjoyed it yesterday and I’ll be making it again tomorrow since it looks like we’re going to be snowed in 🙂
Tania says
Thank you, Summer! Stay warm 🙂