Warm and cozy, creamy turkey orzo soup is wholesome, hearty, and filling, packed with so much flavour. This delicious one pot meal made with leftover turkey, orzo pasta, vegetables, and spinach is pure comfort food in a bowl. It has all the vibes of a classic noodle soup, but is just so much more creamier. It's a family favourite and the easiest weeknight meal to make in just 30 minutes.
This creamy turkey orzo soup is a great way to use any leftover turkey after a holiday meal, but you don't have to always wait for the holidays to make this. Simply make tender slow cooker turkey breast and shred it up for this soup.
Some other ways to use leftover turkey are in leftover turkey wild rice soup, leftover turkey fried rice, turkey tetrazzini, and leftover turkey stuffed peppers.
Ingredients
To make this creamy turkey orzo soup, you will need the following ingredients:
- cooked turkey - This is a great way to use any leftover turkey from a whole roast turkey, slow cooker turkey breast or juicy roasted turkey breast. You can also easily substitute the cooked turkey with cooked chicken.
- orzo - add uncooked orzo directly to the pot and let it cook with the soup. Orzo is a tiny, quick-cooking pasta that is shaped like rice.
- olive oil
- vegetables - onion, celery, and carrots. These are the standard vegetables I use in almost all my soups.
- garlic
- all purpose flour - to add some thickness to the soup.
- chicken stock
- Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper
- heavy cream - makes the soup creamy.
- baby spinach - if you are not a big spinach person, you can easily leave this out or replace with baby kale.
You will also need a medium cooking pot (I used my 4 qt. dutch oven).
How to Make the Best Creamy Turkey Orzo Soup
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a 4 qt. Dutch oven or medium cooking pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots, and sauté until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Then, add garlic and sauté for one minute.
- Add stock and seasoning. Add flour and cook for one minute, continuously stirring. Then, add one cup of chicken stock and stir until flour is dissolved. Add remaining stock, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add turkey and orzo. Stir in turkey and orzo and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes, until orzo is cooked through. Stir occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in cream and spinach. Remove from heat and stir in the cream until fully incorporated. Add spinach and stir until wilted, about 1 minute.
- Serve. Season with salt and pepper as needed, to taste. Serve immediately with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (if desired).
How to Serve Creamy Turkey Orzo Soup
Serve this creamy turkey orzo soup immediately with a side of crusty bread for dunking. Some of my favourite bread to pair with this are homemade no yeast biscuits, easy ciabatta rolls, no knead tomato focaccia bread, or slices of homemade French baguette.
Frequently Asked Questions and Tips
- Can I use chicken instead of turkey? Yes, absolutely. You can also easily substitute the cooked turkey with cooked chicken. Follow the recipe the exact same using leftover whole roast chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- How long does this soup last? Creamy turkey orzo soup is best served immediately. You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Store it in the pot (covered with the lid) or transfer to an airtight container.
- Can I freeze this soup? Yes. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature first, then transfer it to into an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature on the kitchen counter.
- How do I reheat turkey orzo soup? Reheat on the stove over medium heat for a few minutes until warmed through. Note that the orzo will continue to soak up water and expand almost double or triple its size. To reheat, you will likely need to add a little water to thin out the soup again.
More Soup Recipes
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
- Sweet Potato Soup
- Creamy Tortellini Soup with Sausage
- Creamy Mexican Corn Soup
- Vegetarian Mushroom Barley Soup
- Beef Cabbage Barley Soup
This quick and easy creamy turkey orzo soup forms a part of my 25 warm and cozy fall soup recipes. Follow the link to check out all of my 25 fall favourite soups.
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Recipe
Creamy Turkey Orzo Soup
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
Description
Warm and cozy, creamy turkey orzo soup is wholesome, hearty, filling, and flavourful. Make this delicious one pot meal with leftover turkey in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ medium onion, chopped finely
- 2 sticks celery, diced into small cubes
- 2 medium carrots, diced into small cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 5 cups chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 + ½ cups cooked turkey, shredded
- ½ cup uncooked orzo
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup baby spinach
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 4 qt Dutch oven or medium cooking pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots, and sauté until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one minute.
- Add flour and cook for one minute, continuously stirring. Then, add one cup of chicken stock and stir until flour is dissolved. Add remaining stock, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Stir in turkey and orzo and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes, until orzo is cooked through. Stir occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cream until fully incorporated. Add spinach and stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper as needed, to taste. Serve immediately with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (if desired).
Equipment
Notes
Turkey: This is a great way to use leftover turkey from a whole roast turkey, slow cooker turkey breast or juicy roasted turkey breast. You can also easily substitute the cooked turkey with cooked chicken. Follow the recipe the exact same using leftover roast chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
How to store: Creamy turkey orzo soup is best served immediately. You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Store it in the pot (covered with the lid) or transfer to an airtight container.
How to freeze: Allow the soup to cool to room temperature first, then transfer it to into an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature on the kitchen counter.
How to reheat: Reheat on the stove over medium heat for a few minutes until warmed through. Note that the orzo will continue to soak up water and expand almost double or triple its size. To reheat, you will likely need to add a little water to thin out the soup again.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Kathy Boswell says
Really liked this recipe. Super easy to make, i still had all the ingredients necessary after our thanksgiving dinner. Made just like the recipe... I not a huge fan of turkey soup, but this soup was a hit with the family. Be interesting to try it with the chicken.
Leigh says
This was so quick and easy to make with our leftover turkey! It was delicious and my kids asked for it to be put into our meal rotation!
Claudia Lamascolo says
This is the most comforting soup I ever had its creamy delicious and the best idea to use up Turkey!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thanks Claudia! It is a keeper! I totally agree with you, the best way to use up turkey!
Ashley F. says
Such an easy and delicious soup! Perfect for cold weather season!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Ashley! So happy you liked the recipe!