This super easy Turkey Tortilla Soup is loaded with tons of Mexican flavor and goes great with leftover roasted Thanksgiving turkey! Ready in just 30 minutes, you can’t go wrong with this day-after holiday recipe.
Love Soup as much as I do? Then try my Instant Pot Vegetable Soup or my White Chicken Chili!
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Repurpose your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers!
Are you looking for an easy way to use up all of that extra Thanksgiving turkey? Loaded to the brim with Mexican flavors, this simple and quick tortilla soup has you covered. Best of all, from start to finish this soup recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes!
Whether Thanksgiving dinner is a huge feast or a small family gathering, we are all going to have tons of leftover turkey in the fridge by the end of the week — and let’s be honest, re-heated turkey and turkey sandwiches get old really fast! One of my all-time favorite ways to reuse those delicious Thanksgiving turkey leftovers is this easy Mexican-style soup.
The recipe is actually a spin off of my Easy 20 Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup. This version is just a little different, since I decided to use salsa instead of crushed tomatoes and enchilada sauce, PLUS we’re using leftover turkey instead of shredded chicken.
Warm, hearty, and super comforting, this tasty turkey tortilla soup comes fully packed with mouthwatering flavors! The salsa adds a little kick when mixed in with the Mexican spices, and the lime juice and chopped cilantro add the perfect amount of freshness.
This soup could not be easier to make either! Simply throw everything together in a large pot and bring to a simmer, cook for 20 minutes, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Key Ingredients for Turkey Tortilla Soup
- Cooked Roasted Turkey: Remember, these are Thanksgiving leftovers! You can use light or dark meat in this recipe (both if you have it). Be sure to shred your leftover turkey using a fork or meat claws.
- Chicken or Turkey Broth: Both turkey and chicken broth work in this recipe — the choice is up to you! Keep in mind that generally chicken broth is more flavorful than turkey broth. Personally, I recommend turkey broth if you have more meat and vegetables, and chicken broth if you’re running low on turkey.
- Water: Don’t skip the water to add in extra broth! Water is a great way to even out all of your flavors and helps prevent over seasoning.
- Salsa: The chunkier the better, in my opinion! When choosing your salsa, be sure to pay close attention to the spice level. If you really want to turn up the heat, consider throwing in a little spicy salsa verde.
- Spices: This turkey soup is full of mouthwatering Mexican flavors! The recipe calls for 1/2 tablespoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, plus salt and pepper to taste. Just like with the salsa, it’s important to pay attention to how much spice you throw into the soup — if you like lost of spice, add a little more!
- Veggies: Obviously, no soup is complete without delicious healthy vegetables! For this recipe, I add 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans and 2 cups of frozen corn, thawed.
How to Make the Best Turkey Tortilla Soup
- Prep: Before you start cooking, shred your turkey, thaw your frozen corn, and drain and rinse your black beans.
- Cook: Add all of the ingredients to a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook 20 min. Take off of the heat, add in cilantro and lime juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Enjoy: Serve immediately and garnish with avocado, tortilla strips or cilantro if desired.
Customize your soup with your favorite toppings!
So now your leftover Thanksgiving turkey tortilla soup is ready to eat! I highly recommend serving the soup with fresh chopped cilantro and some lime juice, but you can also customize with other toppings. Here are some of my favorites!
- Avocado
- Tortilla Strips or Crushed Tortilla Chips
- Jalapeños
- Shredded Mexican Cheese
- Salsa Verde
- Sour Cream
Love this soup? Explore these other recipes!
- Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Turkey Meatball Vegetable Soup
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Easy 20 Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Creamy Tomato Soup
Turkey Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked turkey, shredded
- 6 cups chicken or turkey broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup salsa
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- juice of half of a lime
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
- Take off of the heat and add in cilantro and lime juice.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately and garnish with avocado, tortilla strips or cilantro if desired.
Nutrition Information
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Mary Ann
I love this recipe Kelley! Awesome that it only takes less than 30 minutes! Perfect!
Pamela
I think the week after Thanksgiving is my favorite for recipes simply because you can get so creative with leftovers! This looks great; Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Dannii
I love me some tortilla soup, and the spicier the better I say! It’s also a really good way to use up leftovers, isn’t it.
Cheyanne
LOVING the Mexican vibes in this turkey tortilla soup! This is the perfect soup to keep me warm and cozy all winter long! SO YUM! Cheers, my dear!
Phi
I’m such a sucker for easy soup recipes in the winter, this one looks so delicious 🙂
Danielle
What a perfect way to use up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving! I love tortilla soup, so this sounds perfect.
Claudia Lamascolo
Wow this is sobrilliant with Thanksgiving coming up and we all get so sick of leftover,thanks so much WE WILL LOVE IT!!
Dannii
This is total comfort food. So many amazing flavours in it too
Beth Sachs
What a delicious recipe for leftover turkey. We love soups at this time of year.
Lisa Huff
Perfect fall soup! Saving this one for all that leftover Thanksgiving turkey!