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One bite, and you’ll be so glad you made this homemade turkey stew. It’s perfect to use up odds and ends from Thanksgiving, not that you need a holiday feast as a reason to make this recipe. It’s super delicious and simple to make for any occasion or weeknight meal.
Turkey Vegetable Stew
My stove-top chicken stew is a hit, so I decided to give the recipe a try with turkey instead of chicken! After Thanksgiving, I always have turkey leftovers to build meals like this stew, turkey and rice soup, or my epic Turkey Chili Recipe.
You can cook the turkey from scratch as I’ll explain below or skip that step and use cooked turkey leftovers. In both cases, it turns out delicious thanks to the veggies, aromatics and herbs. A balanced family dinner that will make everyone drool!
The recipe comes together in one pot, so all you have to do is add the ingredients, stir, let it cook, and celebrate that you found this easy recipe. You’re welcome!
Ingredients
If you want to make this turkey stew dairy-free, swap the cream for coconut milk in equal quantities- it’s just as good! Now, before you check the ingredients in the recipe card, take a look at everything you need and what for:
- Olive oil: for cooking.
- Turkey: boneless turkey breasts or cutlets, or shredded cooked turkey.
- Aromatics: onion, carrots, and celery make this stew super delicious.
- Herbs: dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves go great with chicken.
- Salt and pepper: the classics!
- Golden potatoes: my favorites for stews, but you can use any other.
- Chicken broth: use store-bough or homemade broth or stock.
- Green peas: frozen or canned; any green peas work!
- Half & half: to make the stew creamy. You can swap it for coconut milk.
How to Make Turkey Stew
Got your turkey and veggies? Good! Now, let’s make this healthy turkey stew.
- Brown the turkey
In a large pot, brown the turkey with olive oil. Remove and set aside on a plate. - Sauté the veggies
Heat the remaining oil and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3 minutes or until the veggies are golden brown. - Simmer
Add the seasonings, broth, potatoes, and turkey. Simmer for 30 minutes. - Final touches
Stir in the green peas and half & half. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. - Serve
Remove the bay leaves and serve with a warmed roll or crisp green salad.
*If you’re making this stew with leftover shredded turkey, skip the browning step and stir it in along with the green peas and cream.
First time making this recipe? Watch this quick recipe video to see how it’s done.
Thickening Turkey Stew
Any stew should be robust and thick, so if you find this has too much of a soupy consistency for your liking, here’s how to thicken it:
- Once cooked, mash a few of the potatoes with the back of a spoon, then stir. The starches in the potatoes will thicken the stew.
- Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water. Slowly pour into the stew while stirring. Same as the method above, the added starch will help thicken the broth.
Can You Make Turkey Stew from a Carcass?
No doubt, a turkey or chicken carcass is a great way to make broth, soups, and stews. First, you’ll want to remove all the meat, set it aside, and then use the bones to make a homemade broth. This adds an abundance of flavor and gives more body to the stew.
Depending on how much meat is left on the bones, you may need to supplement with browned turkey or chicken and adding it to the stew later on. We also do this all the time with a rotisserie chicken to make chicken and rice soup.
If you have plans to make this with the leftover Thanksgiving turkey, it’s a good call! Having a plan is a recipe for success and if that’s your thing, check out my updated Giving Thanks menu.
It’s a collection of 23 mouthwatering recipes to choose from with a prep guide to help you work ahead and streamline the process so you can enjoy the holiday.
Turkey Stew in the Slow Cooker
Want to come home to a hot cooked meal? Then turn this stove-top recipe into a slow cooker stew! Here’s what to do:
- Add the turkey, vegetables, herbs, salt, pepper, and chicken broth to a slow cooker dish. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until the turkey is cooked through.
- Turn the slow cooker on high and stir in the peas and half and half. If you are using leftover cooked turkey, add it here. Stir, cover, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
You can also make turkey stew in the Instant Pot
How easy is that? All that’s left is to warm up dinner rolls and serve it alongside this bowl of stew!
Healthy Turkey Stew Recipe
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs boneless turkey cutlets, cut into 1-inch pieces or 2-3 cups shredded roasted turkey
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 carrots, cut into ½-inch rounds
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 leaves bay
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 medium golden potatoes, quartered
- 40 ounces chicken broth, (5 cups)
- 1 cup frozen green peas, or canned
- ½ cup half & half
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken is browned.
- Remove the turkey from the pot and set it aside onto a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon oil over medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3 minutes or until the veggies are softened and golden brown. Add the seasonings, salt, pepper, potatoes, chicken broth, and turkey pieces. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Stir in the green peas and half and half, cook for another 10 minutes, or until thickened. Remove the bay leaves and serve.
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