This hearty turkey barley vegetable soup is the perfect way to transform leftover turkey into a wholesome meal. With tender carrots, zucchini, garlic, and onions simmered in a flavourful chicken stock and tomato base, this soup is packed with protein from the turkey and fibre from the barley, making it both nutritious and delicious. This turkey soup with vegetables is ideal for meal prep or freezing, and isa comforting dish for chilly days.
Turkey as a main element of a meal is not that common here in Australia, but I have tried my hand at making a Roast Turkey for Thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving as my partner grew up there). I knew turkey's were huge, but I did not realise just how much leftover turkey we would be left with after we fed what I thought was a small army. You definitely have to get creative with using leftover turkey, and this is Turkey barley soup is one of my favourites!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Perfect for leftovers. This turkey barley vegetable soup is a great way to repurpose leftover turkey (e.g. from a Roast Turkey) into a soup that's hearty and flavourful.
Nutritious and filling. This barley vegetable turkey soup is packed with protein, fibre, and essential nutrients, making it both satisfying and healthy.
Meal prep-friendly. This turkey barley stew stores well, making it ideal for meal prep or freezing.
Simple. This turkey and barley stew is made in one pot with straightforward ingredients. The leftover turkey soup with barley is easy to prepare, perfect for a cozy, fuss-free dinner.
Ingredients
Chicken stock and tomatoes. Provides the rich, flavourful base for the turkey barley vegetable soup. Why not try making your own homemade chicken stock?
Pearl barley. Adds a chewy, hearty texture and makes the barley and vegetable soup more filling. Pearl barley cooks faster and softens nicely, which makes it ideal for soups and stews.
Onion & carrot. Are the main "base" ingredients for the turkey soup with vegetables. Usually soups and stews have celery to add to this combination, but I've used zucchini instead as I prefer the flavour and don't mind the lack of crunch the celery provides.
Turkey breast (or leftover turkey without bones). The main source of protein, contributing rich flavour and substance to the soup. You could also use leftover chicken (e.g. from a Roast Chicken).
Bay leaves and thyme. Adds subtle herbal notes, enhancing the depth and aroma of the turkey and barley soup with vegetables.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
How to make turkey soup (from raw turkey)
- Sear the turkey: Heat a little olive oil in a large casserole or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the raw turkey breast and sear on all sides until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the turkey and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables: In the same pot, add a little more oil if needed and sauté the onion, carrots, zucchini, and garlic for about 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
- Add liquids. Stir in the chicken stock, canned chopped tomatoes, and tomato paste, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Simmer with turkey. Return the seared turkey breast to the pot, nestling it into the liquid. Add the bay leaves and thyme and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, cover and either (a) reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or (b) add dish to the oven at 120C and slow cook for 2 hours.
- Around 30 minutes before finished, add pearl barley.
- Finish. Once barley is tender and turkey is cooked (turkey should be at least 70C - if it's higher, don't stress as it would have been seared and cooked slowly which helps it remain tender) remove bay leaves and thyme, taste and adjust with salt and pepper to serve.
How to make turkey soup with leftover turkey
- Cook the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, zucchini, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add liquids. Stir in the chicken stock, canned chopped tomatoes, and tomato paste, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Simmer the soup. Add the bay leaves and thyme and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, cover and either (a) reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or (b) add dish to the oven at 120C and slow cook for 1-2 hours.
- About 30 minutes before finishing, add pearl barley.
- Add the cooked turkey (if not having for leftovers). Once the barley is tender, stir in the cooked turkey breast and the bay leaves. Simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes to allow the flavours to meld together.
- If having for leftovers/meal prep. Remove the vegetable soup with barley from the stove and allow to cool completely. Add turkey once cooled or before reheating (see tips below)
- Serve. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Remove the bay leaves and serve hot, with crusty bread (like my homemade focaccia) or your favourite side (you could even go super simple with some rice).
Substitutions and variations
Turkey. You can substitute the turkey breast with chicken, either raw or cooked Roast chicken (it'll be cooked in the same way), for a similar flavour in the turkey barley vegetable soup. Leftover turkey or chicken is ideal for a quicker version of this dish.
Pearl barley. If you don't have pearl barley, you can substitute it with other grains like farro or quinoa for a different texture, though barley provides a hearty chew that pairs well with the soup's rich broth.
What about other types of barley? Pearl barley vs hulled barley.
Pearl barley has been polished to remove the bran layer, making it cook faster and giving it a softer texture, perfect for soups and stews.
Hulled barley retains the bran layer, making it more nutritious but requiring a longer cooking time with a chewier texture.
Chicken stock. I have homemade chicken stock that I use, but you can use vegetable stock as a substitute for chicken stock to make the soup vegetarian friendly (obviously you couldn't add the meat), or even turkey stock for a more intense flavour if you have it on hand.
Meal prep and leftovers
Meal prepping turkey barley vegetable soup is a great way to have a hearty, nutritious meal ready for the week. If you're using leftover turkey, make sure the soup is cooked and cooled completely before adding in the turkey, as you shouldn't cook and then reheat the meat again.
Storing
Store the cooled soup without the turkey in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Once cooled, you can add the turkey to the portioned soup before refrigerating.
Reheating
Reheat the turkey barley soup with vegetables on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave.
If the soup with pearl barley thickens, add a splash of water or stock to adjust the consistency.
If using a microwave, heat on short intervals (1 minute), stirring in between until thoroughly warmed (should take around 3 minutes).
Freezing
Freeze the leftover turkey soup in freezer-safe containers, souper cubes, ziplock or vacuum sealer for up to 6 months. Thaw the turkey and vegetable stew in the fridge overnight and reheat as per the above.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
For a hearty texture, about 1 to 1.5 cups of barley is ideal for a large pot of turkey barley vegetable soup. This amount allows the barley to absorb the flavours of the broth while still maintaining a nice chew.
Yes, you can freeze barley soup, including turkey barley vegetable soup. However, keep in mind that the barley may continue to absorb liquid as it freezes and thaws, so the texture may become slightly softer. To prevent this, you can undercook the barley slightly before freezing, or add extra broth when reheating to adjust the consistency.
Other turkey recipes
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do - Love & Pasta, Lauren x
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Recipe
Turkey Barley Vegetable Soup (Leftover Turkey Stew)
Ingredients
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
- 750 ml (3 ½ cups) chicken stock subs note 1
- 400 g (1 ¾ cup) (1 can) chopped tomatoes
- 285 g (1 ½ cups) barley
- 15 g (1 tbsp) tomato paste
- 1 onion
- 3 large carrots
- 1 large zucchini
- 6 garlic cloves subs note 2
- 500 g (3 ½ cups) cooked turkey or approx. 700g raw
- 3 bay leaves
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
How to make turkey soup (from raw turkey)
- Sear the turkey. Heat a little olive oil in a large casserole or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the raw turkey breast and sear on all sides until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables. In the same pot, add more oil if needed and sauté the vegetables for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add liquids. Stir in the chicken stock, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Simmer with turkey. Return the seared turkey breast to the pot, nestling it into the liquid. Add bay leaves and thyme, then bring to a boil. Cover and either (a) reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or (b) place in the oven at 120C to slow cook for 2 hours. Add pearl barley 30 minutes before finishing.
- Finish. Once the barley is tender and the turkey is cooked (at least 70C), remove the bay leaves and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper before serving.
How to make soup with leftover turkey
- Cook the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, zucchini, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add liquids. Stir in the chicken stock, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste, scraping up any browned bits.
- Simmer the soup. Add bay leaves and thyme, bring to a boil, cover, and either (a) reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or (b) place in the oven at 120C for 1-2 hours. Add pearl barley 30 minutes before finishing.
- Add cooked turkey (for immediate serving) or see below. Once the barley is tender, stir in the cooked turkey and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Or for meal prep. Allow the vegetable and barley soup to cool completely before adding the turkey. Add the turkey just before reheating (see tips in the full post above).
- Serve. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, remove bay leaves, and serve hot with crusty bread (try out my focaccia) or your favourite side.
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