Turkey Barley Soup

Learn how to make easy and delish Turkey Barley Soup using the leftover turkey carcass to make a flavor-packed broth!

We usually roast a whole turkey a few times a year and whenever we do and have a leftover turkey carcass, this Turkey Barley Soup is an absolute must!

This is my Mom’s recipe and it brings back so many good memories for me. It may well be one of my top 3 soups of all time. And, if you know me, you know that I LOVE soup like crazy so that is a huge statement.

This is not complicated at all and is seriously packed with flavor. Let’s get into it.

Turkey Barley Soup Ingredients:

• Olive Oil
• Garlic
• Onion
• Dried Spices (Salt, Pepper, Bay Leaf)
• Fresh Spices (Parsley, Thyme)
• Turkey Carcass and any extra bones
• Apple Cider Vinegar (optional)
• Filtered Water
• Pearled Barley
• Celery
• Carrots
• Shredded Cooked Turkey

What is a Turkey Carcass?

I get asked this question a lot so wanted to be sure to address it in case you are also wondering. A turkey carcass is the intact bones of a cooked (roasted, fried, etc.) whole turkey. Usually, there is some meat left on the bones and that is OK and good for this soup, so don’t make yourself crazy trying to get it all off. When I say “any extra bones”, that means leg bones or wings.

Recipe Tips:

• I used the Turkey Carcass (free of skin and most of the meat) and a couple of extra leg bones that I saved. Be sure to remove as much excess skin as possible to avoid a fatty soup.
• This soup thickens as it cools and is even BETTER the next day!
• I was out of the spice bags I commonly use for soup herbs so I cut a piece of cheesecloth and tied it with string. Either option is fine, you just don’t want the herbs floating around on their own in the soup because it can be hard to pick them out when the soup is cooked and thick with barley. A tea ball would also work.
• The apple cider vinegar is optional. You cannot taste it, it helps to draw the minerals out of the bones which is known to increase the health benefits.
• Any leftover turkey meat (white or dark) works. You can cube it or shred it.
• This turkey barley soup freezes great and is best reheated in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through.
• You can use rice if you want to make this gluten-free.

Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!

Turkey Barley Soup

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 2 hrs

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins

 

Learn how to make easy and delish Turkey Barley Soup using the leftover turkey carcass to make a flavor packed broth!

Course: Soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: how to make barley soup, leftover turkey soup, make soup from turkey bones, Turkey Barley Soup, what to do with turkey carcass

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 130 kcal

Author: Alyssa Brantley

5 from 3 votes

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Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 3 medium garlic cloves smashed
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• cheesecloth and string OR spice bag to make spice bundle
• 8 to 10 pound turkey carcass
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar optional
• 14 cups water
• 3.5 teaspoons kosher salt divided
• .5 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper plus more to adjust seasoning if needed
• 3/4 cup uncooked pearled barley
• 2 medium stalks celery cut into 1/2" dice
• 3 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/4" rounds
• 1 cup cooked turkey shredded

Instructions

PREP:

1. Place bay leaf, thyme, and parsley into a spice bag or roll in a cheesecloth and tie with string.

2. Smash garlic and chop onion.
3. Clean and slice carrots, clean and dice celery. I cut the celery into matchsticks first and then bundle them together and dice.

COOK:

1. Heat a large stock pot or soup pot over medium heat. Add in olive oil and then onion and garlic along with a pinch of salt. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent.

2. Toss in herb bundle, turkey carcass (plus any extra bones if you have them), and apple cider vinegar. Cover with water. If using apple cider vinegar, turn off light and let pot sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour before resuming cooking process.

3. Bring to a boil and proceed to skim off foam.
4. Add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, barley, celery, and carrots. Lower to a simmer and cook uncovered for one hour. Stir occasionally.
5. Add in an additional teaspoon of salt and continue cooking for another hour, stirring occasionally.

6. Remove carcass and bones as well as herb packet. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and remove any meat from the bones and toss back into soup with 1 cup shredded turkey meat.

7. Adjust seasonings if necessary and Enjoy!

NOTES:

• I used the Turkey Carcass (free of skin and most of the meat) and a couple of extra leg bones that I saved. Be sure to remove as much excess skin as possible to avoid a fatty soup.
• This soup thickens as it cools and even more so overnight so is even BETTER the next day!
• I was out of the spice bags I commonly use for soup herbs so I cut a piece of cheesecloth and tied it with string. Either option is fine, you just don't want the herbs floating around on their own in the soup because it can be hard to pick them out when the soup is cooked and thick with barley. A tea ball would also work.
• The apple cider vinegar is optional but you can NOT taste it and helps to draw the minerals out of the bones which makes your soup even that much better for you!
• Any leftover turkey meat (white or dark) works. You can cube it or shred it.
• This turkey barley soup freezes great and is best reheated in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through.
• You can use rice if you want to make this gluten-free.

Nutrition Facts

Turkey Barley Soup

Amount Per Serving (2 cups)

Calories 130 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 16mg5%

Sodium 1123mg49%

Potassium 222mg6%

Carbohydrates 19g6%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 3861IU77%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 35mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

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

Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.

More Easy Turkey Recipes:

How To Roast a Turkey (the easy way!)

Turkey Black Bean Chili

Leftover Turkey Soup

Turkey Soup with Cabbage

Gluten-Free Pot Pie

UPDATE NOTES: This turkey barley soup recipe was originally published in November of 2011 and was updated in September 2020.