Turn leftover Thanksgiving turkey and sides into the most delicious turkey tortellini soup. This leftover Thanksgiving turkey recipe can be made on the stove or in the Instant Pot!
I may have made the yummiest soup ever this week and it was day 4 of eating Thanksgiving leftovers.
If you don’t already know, we don’t eat leftovers. Like really, I cook two servings and if there are any leftovers they die a slow solitary death in my fridge, except for Thanksgiving and St. Patrick’s Day leftovers.
Even still we were burn on open face sandwiches after the first round so when the last of the precious meal was still left to be consumed I made it into a yummy Turkey Tortellini Soup and served it with my knock-off Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread. And frankly I like it enough that I may make up all the ingredients just to make this soup in the future!
Leftover Turkey Tortellini Soup Ingredients
Making tortellini turkey soup is so easy, perfect for that after Thanksgiving week when you don’t feel like doing anything!
- 2 TBS butter
- 2TBS flour
- 1 C milk
- 3-4 C Chicken (or turkey) broth (I just used bouillon and water)
- 1 C leftover green bean casserole (cut into small pieces, I use kitchen shears)
- 1/2-1 C leftover mashed potaoes
- 1/2 to 1 C turkey coarsely chopped
- 9 oz refrigerated tortellini (I used Buitoni’s Three Cheese Tortellini)
- salt and pepper to taste
This recipe is not finicky! If you don’t have green bean casserole just substitute with chopped green beans. No leftover mashed potatoes? Just use one potato you can dice it or boil and smash it. And of course you can swap chicken for the turkey and make this year around.
Make a roux from by melting the butter and then cooking the flour. Gradually add milk to make a cream sauce. Add in 3 cups of chicken broth, green beans, mashed potatoes, and turkey.
Boil water in a separate pan and cook tortellini al dente. Once everything in the soup mixture is warm and well incorporated season to taste. Add in tortellini. If you want it thinner add some more broth. It’s so so yummy! I wish I had done it sooner so we had more.
Instant Pot Tortellini Turkey Soup
I am always trying to figure out how to make things in my Instant Pot these days. And this can easily be converted. Start by making the roux in the the pot. Set your pot to sauté and make sure it’s on the more setting so it gets hot. Melt the butter and the mix in the flour. Gradually add milk to make a cream sauce. Press cancel. Remove the cream sauce and set aside. Don’t worry about washing or getting every last bit out.
Add the broth but make sure to scrap the bottom and sides so no cream sauce is stuck. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on high pressure for 2 minutes. Do a quick release in short spurts so that the liquid doesn’t spray out.
Turn to sauté and stir in the the cream sauce until incorporated.
Crock Pot Tortellini Soup
Make the roux on the stove with the butter, flour and milk and set aside.
Add the broth, green beans, mashed potatoes, turkey, tortellini and cream sauce to the crock pot and stir until combined. Cook on high for 45 minutes
Turkey Tortellini Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 TBS butter
- 2 TBS flour
- 1 C milk
- 3-4 C Chicken or turkey broth (I just used bouillon and water)
- 1 C leftover green bean casserole cut into small pieces, I use kitchen shears
- 1/2-1 C leftover mashed potaoes
- 1/2 to 1 C turkey coarsely chopped
- 9 oz refrigerated tortellini I used Buitoni’s Three Cheese Tortellini
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make a roux from by melting the butter and then cooking the flour.
- Gradually add milk to make a cream sauce.
- Add in 3 cups of chicken broth, green beans, mashed potatoes, and turkey.
- Boil water in a separate pan and cook tortellini al dente.
- Once everything in the soup mixture is warm and well incorporated season to taste.
- Add in tortellini.
- If you want it thinner add some more broth.
Notes
Instant Pot Direction
Start by making the roux in the the pot. Set your pot to sauté and make sure it’s on the more setting so it gets hot. Melt the butter and the mix in the flour. Gradually add milk to make a cream sauce. Press cancel. Remove the cream sauce and set aside. Don’t worry about washing or getting every last bit out. Add the broth but make sure to scrap the bottom and sides so no cream sauce is stuck. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on high pressure for 2 minutes. Do a quick release in short spurts so that the liquid doesn’t spray out.Crock Pot Tortellini Soup
Make the roux on the stove with the butter, flour and milk and set aside. Add the broth, green beans, mashed potatoes, turkey, tortellini and cream sauce to the crock pot and stir until combined. Cook on high for 45 minutes Turn to sauté and stir in the the cream sauce until incorporated.As far as food goes this week, my mom randomly called an announced that it was cheese fondue weather. And really who am I to complain. So I’m off to go have a mini Swiss feast. I’ve been doing “cooking class” with the nieces and this week I taught them how to turn on the burner on the stove.
T was so stressed that she shed a few tears but she made me and herself a tasty quesadilla on the stove. L turned it on just for practice and then claimed she didn’t like crispy quesadillas so went bake to the microwave, peasant.
Tomorrow we’re gonna make some Cranberry Double Chocolate Cookies because I’ve been craving them like a beast but kept forgetting I was out of eggs. But this will be fixed!
What’s for dinner this week…
| Day | Main Meal | Goals (Veggies and Fish) |
| Saturday | Cheese Fondue | Veggies: Peas Fish: Tilapia |
| Sunday | Shepard’s Pie | |
| Monday | Potato Sausage Soup | |
| Tuesday | Roasted Chicken and Mushroom Risotto | |
| Wednesday | Creamy Chicken Enchiladas | |
| Thursday | Eat Out | |
| Friday | Lemon Fish and Fettuccine Alfredo |
Cheryl says
This looks so good, I would never have expected the ingredients that are in it!! I might have to try it!!
Trisha @ Home Sweet Homemade says
Looks delish! Pinned! found you on What’s Cookin’ Wednesdays blog hop!
marissa says
Thanks!
Cailly @ A Tale of Two Cooks says
LOVE THIS! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
P.S. Found your blog on What’s Cookin’ Wednesday.
marissa says
aww thanks I hope you like it!!