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This leftover turkey tortilla soup is made from leftover turkey and is so quick and easy! It’s full of flavor, and as a Whole30 tortilla soup, it’s healthy, too. With cauliflower rice and coconut milk, you’ll love how delicious this leftover turkey tortilla soup is and how healthy this Whole30 tortilla soup makes you feel after a couple days of indulgence! My favorite leftover turkey recipe.
What To Do with Thanksgiving Leftovers
Flashback plates of Thanksgiving leftovers only get me so far. After one or two lunches of Thanksgiving replicas, turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and green bean casserole all microwaved together, with a blob of cranberry sauce added last, I’m finished. Donezo. Moving on. Is it spring yet? I need guacamole. Who else needs guacamole? I’m getting guacamole.
And I love Thanksgiving food. I look forward to Thanksgiving Day each year with such anticipation, imagining the slight terror of waking up to a to-do list a mile long, but powering through the day with an apron permanently attached to my waist, football on in the background, a glass of champagne on the countertop next to the pie crust by 3 p.m.
And we always make too much turkey. I err on the side of heaps of leftovers and end up needing to get creative around Thanksgiving+2. Since we don’t really eat bread or tortillas too often and are almost always permanently holding our bellies by the Saturday after Thanksgiving, wailing about feeling fat and needing desperately to do a Whole30, this leftover turkey tortilla soup (and, conveniently, Whole30 tortilla soup) has been perfection.
Wait … Whole30 Tortillas?!
OK, so, there’s a bit of a misnomer in the title: there’s no tortillas involved! If you’re not paleo or Whole30 and you eat chips or tortillas on the reg, you can absolutely add some pan-fried tortilla strips or corn chips in at the end, along with some raw cheddar or organic Mexican blend, if that’s your thing! What I love about this leftover turkey tortilla soup is that it’s so versatile: it goes from Whole30 tortilla soup to decked out leftover turkey tortilla soup with crispy tortilla strips, a dollop of sour cream, and melty shreds of cheese in the flick of a wrist. Ta-da.
I used my Whole30 Instant Pot chicken tortilla-less soup for inspiration and trimmed down the recipe to come together quickly on the stovetop, since there’s no need to cook the poultry in a leftover turkey tortilla soup, right? By the time you’ve chopped an onion and minced some garlic, it’s basically done. More time for Black Friday or Small Business Saturday, right?
Why I Love Giving Tuesday
Speaking of, once Giving Tuesday rolls around, I really think you should consider giving to (or raising money for!) Sonia Shah Organization. I’ve worked with this organization for something like five years now, and we carry on the dream of Chicago teenager Sonia Shah, who realized education could change a life, a village, a world. After her untimely death at only 18 years of age, her mother made it her mission to see Sonia’s dream become a reality. We now run a school for girls and offer vocational training for women in Kangra, Pakistan, and we provide scholarships to deserving women in the U.S. We’re small but mighty, and I think you might just fall in love with our students and our cause. If you’re interested, click this link to donate. Even a little bit helps! ❤️
You’ll love this leftover turkey tortilla soup because it’s so easy and so flavorful, the perfect leftover turkey recipe to use up the rest of your bird! And as a Whole30 tortilla soup, it’s squeaky clean and healthy, too. Perfect after a couple days of indulgence, right?
You’ll Love These Delicious Soups, Too!
- Seafood Soup
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup (Low Carb, Gluten Free)
- Slow Cooker Tom Kha Soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Healthy Zuppa Toscana (Whole30, Paleo, Dairy Free)
- Tomato Bisque
- Whole30 Creamy Taco Soup
- Mexican Soup
Leftover Turkey Tortilla Soup (Whole30 Tortilla Soup)
Ingredients
For the Leftover Turkey Tortilla Soup
- 1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chicken stock or turkey stock
- 2 cups cooked turkey chopped; or cooked chicken, chopped
- 1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes undrained
- 1 4.5-ounce can green chiles undrained
- 1 12-ounce bag frozen cauliflower rice still frozen
- 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream whisked until smooth
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped, optional
Optional Toppings
- sliced green onions
- chopped fresh cilantro
- fresh jalapeños thinly sliced
- diced avocado
- coconut cream or sour cream but only if not paleo or on Whole30
- lime wedges
- shredded cheese only if not paleo or on Whole30
- pan-fried tortilla strips or corn chips only if not on Whole30 (see Notes for paleo)
Instructions
- Heat avocado oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add onion. Cook until softened, stirring regularly, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Sprinkle in spices and salt and stir to coat well, then cook 30 seconds.
- Pour in stock, roasted tomatoes, chiles, cooked turkey, cauliflower rice, and coconut milk and stir until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- When cauliflower rice is cooked through, stir in chopped cilantro then soup ladle into serving bowls and serve with toppings.
- If you’re paleo and want tortilla strips or chips, check out Siete. We love both their chips and their tortillas! They’re totally paleo, too.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Great recipe! I made my own 24 hr turkey bone broth for this soup and I added a little tomato paste to thicken, honey to sweeten and fresh lime juice for some tang.
Ooh, yum! That sounds delicious!
This was the perfect recipe I needed for my leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
I made some slight changes: I included 1 chopped red bell with the onions; after sauteeing the onions, I added a little butter & some flour to make a roux, then added my homemade turkey stock. Substituted the cauliflower rice with 1 can rinsed black beans & about 1 cup leftover skillet corn (from TG dinner). Added everything else… Absolutely love this recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
OMG! This is so good. Definitely put all the “optional” ingredients in. The lime juice when serving makes a big difference. I waited till it was done to add the salt. I don’t feel it needed it.
Wonderful! Glad those optional ingredients worked well for you!
What type of onion do you use? Red or white.
We use yellow or white!
I do not like the taste of coconut, can I use something else?
Cashew cream or milk!
I want to make this tomorrow but am in the middle of a kitchen renovation with no stove. Any chance you know how I could modify with a slow cooker or instant pot? When would I add the cauliflower rice? Thank you!
Made this tonight and it was amazing!!!!
Hi There – I absolutely adore this recipe! By chance, do you know the calorie count per serving?
Thanks very much.
Updated with a label!
This soup is delicious!!!
So happy you liked it as much as we did!
This looks spectacular and a great way to to use Turkey leftovers. I have been known to cook a turkey mid year… mostly for the leftover meat and the bones. The turkey meal is nice, but so much yumminess from them leftovers!
Yes! I’ve done the same. I love having ALL that meat to get creative with.