Turkey and Dumplings Soup
Hearty turkey and vegetable soup with fluffy buttermilk dumplings cooked right on top. A great way to use leftover turkey! I've also included a recipe to make your own turkey broth for the soup, but you may substitute with store-bought if you prefer.
Ingredients
Homemade Turkey Broth (optional):
- Leftover turkey bones
- 1 small onion , quartered
- 2 carrots , chopped into large chunks
- 1 stalk celery , chopped into large chunks
- 1 small bunch of herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage and parsley
- Water , as needed
Soup:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup (70 grams) chopped carrots
- 1 small onion , chopped
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups (1 liter) turkey or chicken broth , homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup (220 grams) quality apple juice or cider (see Note)
- 1 ½ cups (150 grams) chopped potatoes
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 2-3 cups (200-300 grams) cooked shredded turkey
- ½ cup (112 grams) milk or cream
Dumplings:
- 1 ½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (70 grams) cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 cup (227 grams) buttermilk
Instructions
To make the stock:
- Remove any excess skin and fat from the bones. Make sure to remove any turkey meat you hope to use for another purpose; any meat left on the bone will be very tough by the time the stock is done.
- Place the turkey bones in a large stock pot and add vegetables and herbs. Add enough cold water to cover all of the bones.
- Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 2 hours, adding more water as needed to keep the bones covered. Occasionally skim the surface of the stock with a spoon to remove any "scum" that may develop as it cooks.
- Pour stock through a fine mesh strainer. If desired, you can further strain out impurities by passing stock through a coffee filter.
- Pour into quart-sized containers and store in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to several months. Or use right away!
To Make the Soup:
- In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and stir until soft and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir until vegetables are coated.
- Slowly pour in the turkey stock while whisking until it's all incorporated. Add the apple cider, potatoes, salt, pepper and thyme.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are just starting to tenderize.
- Stir in the turkey and milk/cream.
To Make the Dumplings:
- While the soup is simmering, prepare the dumplings. Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
- Add the buttermilk and stir just until no streaks of dry ingredients remain, do not over mix.
- Drop the dumpling batter by 1/4 cupfuls on top of the soup. Try to evenly space them, but it doesn't need to be perfect.
- Cover the pot with the lid so that there's a 1-inch opening for steam to escape and simmer for 15 minutes until dumplings appear dry on top and are cooked all the way through.
- Serve soup immediately, store leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Video
Notes
- Several readers have misread the recipe and used apple cider vinegar in place of apple juice or cider, do not make that mistake! I use Simply Apple juice.
- If you're short on time while making the homemade broth, you can simmer for only 30-60 minutes and add 1 Tbsp of bouillon paste.
- This recipe can also be made with chicken instead of turkey.
- To make ahead: You can prepare this soup and store in the pot it’s cooked in (if it’s oven proof). When ready to enjoy, warm in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes. A lot of the broth will get soaked up by the dumplings as it sits so it will be a lot less soup-like. But still tasty!
Calories: 326kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 800mg, Potassium: 768mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 4084IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 163mg, Iron: 4mg
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.
