Creamy Turkey and Dumplings With Leftover Turkey is the perfect recipe to use those Thanksgiving leftovers. These homemade dumplings are the perfect comfort food and an easy recipe the whole family will love.
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Why You’ll Love This Turkey And Dumplings Recipe!
Thanksgiving dinner requires so much preparation. It is comforting to know that after the big holiday I can put the leftovers to good use and make my life a little easier! That is why I love this turkey and dumplings soup recipe. It is so easy to make and the fluffy dumplings just melt in your mouth. This is a classic comfort food recipe that will quickly become your new favorite way to use turkey leftovers!
If you made a lot of extra turkey and cranberry sauce try this turkey slider recipe for another easy way to utilize those leftovers!
Equipment Needed
Lodge Dutch oven or large pot- I love my Dutch oven because it heats evenly and is easy to clean. The 4.5 quart if the perfect size for soup, chili and even roasting a small turkey.
Key Ingredients
turkey- leftover cooked turkey is perfect for this recipe. Use a mixture of dark meat and white meat or whichever your preference is.
This is one of my favorite recipes to make with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I usually roast a turkey much larger than I need just so I can use leftover turkey meat for recipes after the big holiday.
all-purpose flour- use all-purpose flour for the dumpling recipe and also to thicken the soup.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add the carrots, celery and onions to sauté for about 6 minutes so they can start to soften. You do not want to cook the vegetables completely because they will continue to cook while the dumplings are cooking.
Once vegetables are starting to soften, add the flour and stir to cook the flour for 1-2 minutes. The flour will thicken the broth but it needs to cook in the butter first to remove the raw flour taste.
Next add the broth to the vegetable mixture. You can use chicken broth or turkey broth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
While the broth comes to a boil mix together the dumplings. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a separate bowl and mix. Next add the melted butter, sour cream and milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until the flour mixture is just combined and no streaks of flour remain. The dough will be very wet and sticky.
Add the turkey to the broth and vegetable mixture. Drop small spoonfuls of the dumpling dough over the top of the broth. I made 12 dumplings with the dumpling batter. Cover and bring the heat down to simmer.
Cook the turkey dumpling soup for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid during the cooking process because the steam that the lid creates is what cooks the dumplings as they float on top of the broth.
Once the 15 minutes is up, remove the lid and insert a toothpick into the center of dumplings to make sure that they are cooked through. If the toothpick is clean the dumplings are finished cooking. If not then return the lid and cook for an additional couple of minutes.
Serving Recommendations
Spoon the turkey and dumplings into separate serving bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm. This turkey dumplings recipe is the perfect one pot meal and with the help of leftovers comes together in about 35 minutes.
Storage
Store the leftover turkey dumplings recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keep in mind if using leftover turkey to make this recipe the turkey is safe for 3-4 days from originally cooked.
Substitutions And Additions
turkey- you can make this recipe any time of year using leftover chicken instead of turkey. Rotisserie chicken is a great way to make this dinner for a quick weeknight meal.
broth- I always have cartons of chicken broth on hand but feel free to use chicken stock or turkey stock for a richer flavor.
thyme- fresh herbs are the one thing I do grow. If you do not have this on hand you can always use a ¼ teaspoon dried thyme.
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and a 5- star rating. I would love to hear from you! Subscribe Here to get new recipes sent straight to your inbox!
Creamy Turkey And Dumplings With Leftover Turkey
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot
Ingredients
Turkey and Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups broth, chicken or turkey
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 cups leftover turkey, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Dumplings
- 1 and ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- fresh parsley, optional for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add butter to melt and stir in carrots, celery and onion. Frequently stir the vegetables until they become slightly tender about 6 minutes.
- Add the two tablespoons of flour to the vegetables. Continue to stir to cook the flour for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the broth, bay leaf and thyme to the vegetables and bring to a boil. The broth will begin to thicken from the flour that was added.
- Meanwhile mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
- Add the melted butter, milk and sour cream into the flour. Stir until just combined and no white streaks of flour remain.
- Reduce the turkey and vegetables to a simmer and begin to drop the dough by the spoonful over the top of the broth.
- Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Do not uncover during the 15 minutes because the steam the lid creates cooks the dumplings as they float on the top of the broth.
- After the 15 minutes, uncover and test with a toothpick to see if they are cooked through and not doughy. If needed return lid and cook for an additional couple of minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Tamara
This was delicious. I didn’t see steps included on when to add the turkey so I went ahead and added when I added the broth and seasonings. Also, I removed the bay leaf before adding the dumplings to the soup. I didn’t see where there were instructions to do so. I will definitely make this again! Great flavor and a great way to use up the thanksgiving left over!