Leftover Turkey Soup with Pie Crust Crackers

4.5 from 4 votes
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Turkey Pot Pie Soup is the perfect warm and cozy meal. A hearty bowl of turkey soup is loaded with vegetables and topped with pie crust crackers for the ultimate easy comfort food recipe. And there are lots of options to make this gluten free. It is a delicious way to use up your leftover Thanksgiving turkey. But if you don’t have any, just make chicken pot pie soup!

Turkey Pot Pie Soup Recipe image with Title

Disclosure:  I received free samples of McCormick Gluten-Free Recipe Mixes from McCormick mentioned in this post as part of the McCormick Gluten-Free Recipe Mixes Launch and was compensated for previous recipe posts. I was under no obligation to use their product in any further posts such as this one. As always, all opinions are my own.

Originally published Nov 13, 2014.

While it is always important to reflect on what we are thankful for, it’s always amplified in November, and especially on Thanksgiving.

There might be something you are particularly thankful for that year.

Other things recur year after year, and even day after day, like the safety and health of my family, the love of my husband, and the joy brought to me by my boys.

I am thankful for this blog, and the joy it brings me, and for everyone who cooks my recipes to help me support my family.

And let’s be real. I’m thankful for turkey. And leftover turkey. As well as genius recipes to take that leftover turkey and transform it into something new and possibly even more delicious. 

Like turkey soup with a twist!

Easy Turkey Soup topped with pie crust crackers in a soup crock

Turkey Pot Pie Soup Made with Thanksgiving Leftovers

This turkey soup recipe was inspired by Aimee’s Beef Pot Pie Soup over at Shugary Sweets. Hers sounded amazing, and I thought it was a genius idea that she used a Beef Gravy Mix to give the broth a thick, rich flavor and texture. 

But what might be even more brilliant is using the same idea to repurpose your Thanksgiving leftovers.

Save some of that turkey (or make a crockpot turkey breast). Set aside a couple of potatoes plus some peas and carrots. Make some turkey stock or get an extra carton of the chicken stock you used to make your gravy. And keep some extra pie dough in the fridge. 

It has everything you love about a classic pot pie. You get the hearty, rich, and creamy mixture of meat and veggies. And that crisp, buttery, flakiness of the crust. But without all of the effort.

By topping your soup with pie crust crackers, you eliminate the work and fuss of rolling out the dough, lining the pie pan, and waiting for it to bake. 

Plus the leftover soup is easier to reheat than a pot pie. Just save those extra pie crust crackers in a plastic storage bag for the next time you warm up the soup.

This Turkey Pot Pie Soup is seriously amazing!

A bowl of hearty soup filled to the top

Turkey Soup Recipe with Pie Crust Crackers

This easy turkey soup recipe based on the classic chicken pot pie is the comfort food you need in winter. The flavors are incredible, with gravy mix intensifying the poultry flavor versus just using chicken broth. Plus, the addition of cheese doesn’t actually make it cheesy. It simply gives it a rich, silky, creamy texture. And the addition of pie crust “crackers” – genius. You get the crisp flakiness, but it’s so much easier, and no soggy-crust leftovers.

What You’ll Need

  • Pie dough – you can use a homemade or storebought dough, but I would not recommend a frozen pie crust. You can use gluten free pie crust, too.
  • Olive oil
  • Onion
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Potato
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Milk
  • Turkey Gravy Mix – powdered mix from a packet. I used McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix (regular or gluten free works or you can use a Chicken Gravy Mix)
  • Turkey or chicken broth or stock – storebought from a carton or homemade
  • Frozen peas
  • Turkey – cooked and chopped. Use leftover Thanksgiving turkey or from a crockpot turkey breast, or even chicken.
  • Cheddar cheese – I use Cabot Sharp or Seriously Sharp
  • Parsley – fresh is best if you have it, but you can use dried.

How to make Turkey Pot Pie Soup:

  1. Roll out pie crust dough to 1/4 inch thick, cut into 1-inch strips and bake for about 10 minutes. NOTE: You can do this ahead of time or while the soup is simmering.
  2. Saute onion, celery, carrots, potato, salt, and pepper.
  3. Whisk together milk and packet of gravy mix. Add to vegetables with chicken broth, turkey, and peas.
  4. Simmer until vegetables are soft.
  5. Just before serving, slowly add the cheddar cheese in small amounts, stirring well after each addition.
  6. Stir in the parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
  7. Serve with the pie crust crackers.
A spoon of soup with turkey meat and vegetables

Can you make Chicken Pot Pie Soup?

Of course! If you don’t have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or another meal, you can use leftover chicken if you’ve made a Lemon Herb Slow Cooker Roast Chicken or Rosemary Balsamic Roast Chicken. Alternatively, you can pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. You can use Turkey Gravy or Chicken Gravy mix.

How do you make Turkey Pot Pie Soup gluten free?

  • When choosing your turkey, make sure that it is not injected with a broth or other seasoning that has gluten-containing ingredients. And do not cook in an oven bag that requires you to add flour.
  • Of course, the vegetables are gluten free.
  • Unless you’ve made your own, do verify that your chicken stock is gluten free.
  • As I mentioned, this soup is made with a turkey gravy mix from a packet. McCormick has Gluten Free Turkey Gravy Mix that works beautifully in this recipe.

How do you make the gluten free pie crust crackers?

When I first created this recipe, there was a Pillsbury gluten free pie dough available in the refrigerator section of the grocery store. Unfortunately, that product is not available anymore, but there are a few options:

  • There are a number of gluten free pie crust mixes you can buy.
  • You can make your own simple gluten free pie crust that uses a mix of brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch.
  • You can also try a gluten free pie crust that simply uses a gluten free all purpose blend and xanthan gum.
Leftover Turkey Soup on a spoon

Shop the Recipe

  • STOCK POT – I like a heavy enameled cast-iron Dutch oven for making soups. While the fancy brands are nice, this one from Lodge is much more affordable and works just as well. The heavy bottom is perfect for sauteeing the veggies without burning them, and you can let your soup simmer over low heat for hours if you like without it scorching. Plus, cleanup is so easy.
  • SOUP CROCKS – These aren’t entirely necessary, but I love the vintage look of these soup crocks. Mine technically are vintage, since I found them in my mom’s cabinet years ago. Of course, they are classic for French Onion Soup, but they keep any type of soup nice and warm. I think the ones with the lids and handles are adorable, but they also have ones that are just basic bowls which might be more practical and easy to store.
turket soup with pie crust crackers
4.5 from 4 votes

Turkey Pot Pie Soup

A steamy bowl of soup is an easy and comforting way to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • Dough for a single pie crust homemade or storebought (gluten free, if needed)
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • half of an onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • 1 large potato, peeled and chopped into about 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 package McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix (regular or gluten free)
  • 2 cups chicken or turkey broth or stock
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 2 cups chopped cooked turkey
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried
  • Additional salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Note: This can be done while the soup is simmering. Preheat oven to temperature indicated in the pie crust recipe or directions. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into 1-inch strips. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown. For the gluten free pie crust, I baked at 425°F for 9 to 11 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
  • In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, potato, salt, and pepper, and saute for about 4 or 5 minutes.
  • While the veggies are cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together the milk and gravy mix.
  • Add the gravy mixture, broth, turkey, and peas to the pot.
  • Cover and bring just barely to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are soft.
  • When ready to serve, slowly add the cheddar cheese in small amounts, stirring well after each addition.
  • Stir in the parsley, and adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Serve with the pie crust crackers.
Nutrition Facts
Turkey Pot Pie Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 278 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Cholesterol 43mg14%
Sodium 970mg40%
Potassium 467mg13%
Carbohydrates 17g6%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 3980IU80%
Vitamin C 17.9mg22%
Calcium 226mg23%
Iron 2.4mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Categories:

More leftover turkey recipes

More Thanksgiving leftovers recipes

Enjoy!

18 Comments
  1. I would like to try to make this…but I have one question. You have in the recipe : 1package McCormick turkey gravy mix…..the problem I have with lots of other recipes that use “package” as measurement…it doesn’t help when you buy in bulk at your favorite membership store (us…it’s SAMS Club) as to how much to measure out of the larger containers. So the question is: “how much in measurements (not weight please…don’t own a scale) does 1 pkg. =? I wish more people would realize some of us buy in quantity to save money and don’t know what a “package” equals and start putting that in parentheses in the ingredients list. I would greatly appreciate your feedback on this….thank you.

    1. Hmm, I didn’t even know that turkey gravy mix would come in a bulk package. I figured they would just make up large boxes of the packets. Thanks for letting me know. The problem is that when something is sold in a fairly standard package, I usually don’t pour it out of the package to see how much is in there. Based on the way the nutrition facts are written, I’m going to say it’s about 8 teaspoons.

  2. Linda | Brunch with Joy

    Brianne, seems like you and the family went though a lot this year, and I’m glad it’s all working out fine. Hope you and your family enjoy your new place and have a smooth transition. Meanwhile, I’ll be enjoying your turkey pot pie soup – perfect for rainy day like today…and I’m totally thankful for my blogging buddies, including you. 🙂

  3. Nina H

    I enjoy your recipes but please start proof reading!!! Almost every post has some sort of typo. I have the urge to use my teacher big read pen when reading. Yesterday was chicken stick/stock. Today “when he he tells me or anyone that he loves them”. Autocorrect isn’t foolproof!

    1. I’m sorry. I hate typos too! Unfortunately with as busy as we have been, I seem to be writing my posts late at night, so I’m sure my typing is a little off. Oh, I’m honestly terrible embarrassed. Now I want to go back and check them all.

    2. Jacqueline

      4 stars
      I’m not being antagonistic and I am sure you mean well.
      She just said she and her family have had a hellish, busy year and they are in the process of moving. Give a lady a bit of a break? She shared a joyful, uplifting post with us and a delicious recipe too. A few typos really don’t matter. Enjoy the blessings!
      Good luck with everything love. 2019 is going to be amazing. God bless.

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