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This hearty turkey stew with vegetables simmered in a creamy sauce is a delicious way to use up that leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
There are two types of people in this world. I’m not talking about right or left; early risers or night owls; Yankees or Red Sox. No, it’s a far more devisive topic. Leftovers. I’m referring to those of us that look forward to leftover night and those that going running for the menu drawer.
I don’t know about you, but I always have tons of leftovers after Thanksgiving. Some of this is intentional so I can make my favorite sandwich or elevate taco night, but frankly I always have more left than intended.
Perhaps it’s because I have those Italian grandma genes and I always prepare for a small army regardless of the guest list. Whatever the cause, I usually have a pile of turkey left and need a way to transform it so my family will eat it for dinner.
Hello turkey stew!
This is actually a snap to make since the turkey is already roasted. We just need to cook some vegetables in a yummy broth, add in the shredded turkey, simmer, and voila! Dinner.
This stew is hearty, creamy, and delicious sopped up with a hunk of crusty bread or a buttermilk biscuit. And I’m pretty sure even you leftover-haters will have a hard time saying no to this dish.
Let’s make Turkey Stew
- Gather ingredients.
- Saute onion in butter and olive oil.
- Add garlic and mushrooms and saute until golden.
- Stir in the flour.
- Whisk in the white wine and stock.
- Add the vegetables, cover, and cook until tender.
- Stir in the turkey and herbs.
- Stir in the cream or half n half (if using), simmer, season, and serve!
Tips for success
- This recipe was created to use up leftover turkey, but poached or rotisserie chicken works great too.
- I like a spoon of chicken base to amp up the flavor, but a cube of bullion will work in a pinch.
- Don’t skimp on the fresh herbs. They add a punch of fresh flavor and make a pretty garnish as well.
- A lighter and still delicious version omits the heavy cream or half n half. It’s not necessary, but the cream creates a richer, more velvety sauce.
This hearty turkey stew with vegetables simmered in a creamy sauce is a delicious way to use up that leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup AP flour
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups chicken or turkey stock (+ additional stock if it’s too thick)
- 1 Tbsp chicken base
- 5 celery ribs, chopped
- 5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 4 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 6 cups turkey, cooked and diced/shredded
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
- 1 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or half n half (optional)
-
Heat oil and butter in a large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium/high heat.
-
Add the onion and cook until softened and golden, about 8 minutes.
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Add garlic, mushrooms, season with salt, and cook until mushrooms have released their water and are beginning to brown, another 8 minutes.
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Stir in flour and cook 2-3 minutes. Slowly pour in wine and broth, continually stirring.
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Mix in base and then add celery, carrots, and potatoes.
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Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
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Add herbs, salt, pepper and turkey. Stir in heavy cream or half n half if using. Simmer until heated through. Ladle into bowls and serve.
- This recipe was created to use up leftover turkey, but poached or rotisserie chicken works great too.
- I like a spoon of chicken base to amp up the flavor, but a cube of bullion will work in a pinch.
- Don’t skimp on the fresh herbs. They add a punch of fresh flavor and make a pretty garnish as well.
- A lighter and still delicious version omits the heavy cream or half n half. It’s not necessary, but the cream creates a richer, more velvety sauce.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in November 2015 but was republished with step-by-step photos and tips in November 2018.
Sheila says
What is a chicken base?
Cathy says
It’s a very concentrated stock, similar to bouillon. http://www.amazon.com/Watkins-Chicken-Soup-Gravy-8-29oz/dp/B002OCUKZ2/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1459740891&sr=1-4&keywords=chicken+base
Sheila Jay Misiuda says
Turned out good but not sure if I care for the wine in it. Will make again when we have turkey.
Cathy Roma says
The wine can either be added and reduced, or omitted altogether. Just add an extra splash of stock!
Karen says
Absolutely delicious!
Ana F. says
Delicious! The only changes I made were, reduced down my wine and add fresh spinach at the end and it was amazing.
Randy says
Chicken bouillon liptons chicken soup will work fine as well
Donna says
Don’t like or use wine in my cooking, can I use more stock instead? Can I freeze any leftovers?
Cathy says
For this recipe you can just increase the stock and use a splash of white wine vinegar.
Cathy says
And yes! The leftovers will freeze nicely.
Amy Hendershot says
I made this soup tonight and it was SO GOOD! Delicious!!! Be sure to use fresh herbs and Yukon gold potatoes. I made mine in my pressure cooker instead of stove top and it was done in 15 minutes. Added the herbs and, Turkey and cream at the end, gave it a stir and let it sit for 5 minutes. Turned out amazing! My boyfriend ate 3 bowls! Lol
Cathy Roma says
What a dream to make it in the pressure cooker! And agreed, fresh herbs are key. So glad you enjoyed!
Reyna says
This was an awesome recipe for left over turkey. We made it on a week night and it was pretty simple to make.
Cathy Roma says
So glad you liked the stew! Agreed, leftover turkey makes quick work of a weeknight dinner!
Pam Lorden says
I made this stew and it was delicious my family loved it so much so I didn’t have any leftovers. Will definitely make it again
Paige says
I added a couple more cups of stock just to make more soup! Also made this with dumplings and it was SO GOOD. Thank you
Cathy Roma says
You had me at dumplings! Always a welcome addition!
Angela says
I’ve made this recipe several times using chicken and turkey. It’s delicious. I never need half n half or cream it’s always the perfect stew thickness. Today I made it and added more stock to make it more soupy. It’s delicious! I also don’t use thyme and it’s still so good!
Cathy Roma says
Thanks for your comment and so happy you enjoy the recipe. One of the things I enjoy about this recipe is its flexibility. You can omit the cream, substitute different veggies and herbs and still have a delicious stew!
Kdale says
I Just made this! love the simplicity of this recipe… such a great base to work from. Used our frozen Christmas turkey leftovers. I was out of white wine, so I subbed it with Beer for an extra flavour boost I added a splash of balsamic vinegar and a little heat with some chilli garlic. the consistency was perfect without the cream, but that would be delicious too! Thanks
Breanda says
Love this recipe. I find it physically impossible to follow a recipe exactly, lol but I do try to stay close. I dropped the wine and used evaporated milk instead of cream but followed the recipe otherwise. I have made this several times and always loved it. I serve it with biscuits and salad. Yum!
Marjorie Seward says
I made this stew strictly by the recipe except I used Rotisserie Chicken instead of Turkey; added 1/4 tbsp of sage and a bay leaf. I served it with Jiffy cornbread and it was delicious! My family loved it. Very filling. No need for a side. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Will definitely be making it again.
Judith Miller says
Made this with our left over turkey and a bowl of left over steamed vegetables. Didn’t add the wine because I didn’t have any. Makes a great stew for the day after your large crowd of visiting guest leaves and you get the house back in order and then you set and relax because your meal is done for the day!
Roger M says
Have made this twice now and loved it. Added a large handful of dried cranberries to give it even more of a “holiday leftovers” taste.
Mike says
Very tasty will add to my what todo with leftovers
linda Williamson says
I love this recipe! I made it this week from the Thanksgiving Turkey. I used the slow cooker to make a turkey stock using an onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf,salt and pepper. I used the remanent meat from the turkey back and breast bone from the original 18 lb turkey. I used cooking sherry instead of white wine. The turkey stock was so rich, I didn’t need to add cream at all! It was delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Cathy Roma says
Sounds perfect! So happy you enjoyed!