Leftover Turkey Tortellini Soup Recipe with Spinach

Don’t let that leftover turkey go to waste this holiday season. Use that, plus a few extra vegetables you may have, to make a delicious soup.

Jump to Recipe

Big dinners during the holidays usually involve lots of leftovers. There are so many wonderful ways you can use the leftover food to come up with new meals. I used our leftover Thanksgiving turkey from when I made it in the instant pot to come up with a hearty, warm, delicious soup!

Our whole family enjoys cheese tortellini, so this easy turkey soup recipe was a hit with everyone. The delicious broth warmed us up on a chilly day. 

Since we had some tortellini in the freezer, and I’ve used it in soups before (Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini and Tomato Tortellini Soup), I figured we would give it a try. This was also a great way to use up some of the extra vegetables used when making Homemade Stuffing.

Though I used my sausage soup as the idea, this one is very different. It’s a much lighter simple soup, which is often needed after a large holiday meal. Even a day or two later.

Serving Suggestions & Tips

• Spice up your soup by garnishing it with some red pepper flakes. 
• If you want a thicker soup, mix 1 tbsp of cornstarch with 3 tbsp of cold water then stir that into the soup at the end. 
• I tend to use frozen tortellini because we keep some on hand, but you can also use fresh tortellini. 
• Even though the recipe calls for leftover holiday turkey, it can also be made with shredded chicken breasts. 
• Serve your hearty soup with a side of crusty bread and a vegetable such as green beans, sweet potatoes, or leftover mashed potatoes. 
• You can use the leftover turkey carcass to make turkey stock for the recipe. Or, if you don’t have turkey stock or don’t want to make any, you can substitute it with chicken broth or vegetable broth.

Turkey Tortellini Soup Step by Step

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (chopped)
• 2 stalks celery (sliced)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 6 cups turkey stock (or chicken broth)
• 3 cups turkey (shredded)
• 9 oz cheese tortellini
• 3 oz fresh spinach leaves
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)

Preparation

Heat the oil in a stockpot or soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped yellow onions and celery and cook for about 2-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring often.

Pour in the leftover turkey stock and place the turkey in the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the cheesy tortellini and cook for about 5-7 minutes according to the package directions, until the pasta floats.

Stir in the baby spinach and black pepper. Serve warm topped with parmesan cheese.

Leftover Turkey Tortellini Soup Leftovers

Storage: This soup will only be good for about a day. The tortellini will start to break down quickly when it’s stored in liquid. Keep the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Reheating: For the best results, reheat the soup in a pan on the stove over medium heat. It took about 10 minutes for it to heat through.

Recipe

Leftover Turkey Tortellini Soup

Don't let that leftover turkey go to waste this holiday season. Use that, plus a few extra vegetables you may have, to make a delicious soup.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Course:

Main Dish

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

holidays

|

soup

|

tortellini

|

turkey

Dietary Needs:

Egg-Free

|

Nut-Free

Meat:

Chicken/Turkey

Cooking Method:

One-Pan Meals

Servings: 6

5 from 9 votes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (chopped)
• 2 stalks celery (sliced)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 6 cups turkey stock (or chicken broth)
• 3 cups turkey (shredded)
• 9 oz cheese tortellini
• 3 oz spinach leaves
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)

Recommended Equipment

• Stockpot

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat
• Add the onion and celery and cook for about 5 minutes
• Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring often
• Pour in the turkey stock and place the turkey in the pot
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes
• Add the tortellini and cook about 5-7 minutes, until the pasta floats
• Stir in the spinach and pepper
• Serve warm topped with parmesan cheese

Click the buttons below to share and print this recipe

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Nutrition Facts

Leftover Turkey Tortellini Soup

Amount Per Serving (1.5 cups)

Calories 387 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 6g30%

Cholesterol 70mg23%

Sodium 868mg36%

Potassium 516mg15%

Carbohydrates 30g10%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 30g60%

Vitamin A 1547IU31%

Vitamin C 6mg7%

Calcium 294mg29%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Thanksgiving Recipes

• Leftover Turkey Tortellini Soup
• Turkey Gravy from Scratch
• Smooth and Creamy Mashed Cauliflower and Potatoes
• Instant Pot Turkey Roasted to Perfection
• Grandpa’s Sweet Potato Casserole
• Buttermilk Biscuits
• Ambrosia Salad
• Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
• Roasted Butternut Squash
• Pumpkin Pie
• Cranberry Sauce Leftovers in Mini Jello Cups
• Homemade Stuffing or Dressing Recipe with Fresh Bread
• Sweet Potato Pie
• Creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes
• Easy Apple Pie
• Chicken and Dumplings
• Lemon Herb Turkey Breast in the Instant Pot
• Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Soup Recipes

• One-Pot Potato and Cream Cheese Soup
• Slow Cooker Soups and Stews: Over 50 Recipes
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Creamy Beef Bone and Potato Soup
• Red Lentil Soup
• The Best Bread for Soup: A Cozy Pairing for Every Bowl
• Zesty Chicken Tortellini Soup
• Sausage Potato and Kale Soup
• Lazy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
• Creamy Hamburger Potato Soup Recipe
• Lasagna Soup
• Ratatouille Soup
• Creamy Artichoke Soup
• Pasta Fagioli Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
• 15 Bean Ham Bone Soup
• Green Chicken Soup
• Roasted Tomato and Cheddar Soup
• Leftover Turkey Tortellini Soup
• Tomato Potato Soup with Shrimp
• Easy One Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Chicken Tortilla Soup (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)
• Immunity Soup
• Kreacher’s French Onion Soup
• Easy Slow-Cooker Potato and Cheddar Soup
• Seafood Gnocchi Soup
• Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup
• Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
• Minestrone Soup: The Perfect Warm Vegetarian Soup
• Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
• Tomato Soup (Vegan and Dairy-Free)
• Cheesy Broccoli Soup with Ramen Noodles

Tortellini Recipes

• Zesty Chicken Tortellini Soup
• Leftover Turkey Tortellini Soup
• Skillet Tortellini and Broccoli Meal
• Tortellini Alfredo Copycat Panera Recipe
• Herbed Tortellini (or Ravioli)
• Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup
• Chicken Tortellini Skillet Dinner with Pasta Sauce
• Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
• Chicken Tortellini Salad with Lemon Dressing