Leftover turkey can go straight into sandwiches, but a pot of soup gives the extra meat, vegetables, and broth somewhere to go at once. This version has another shortcut that saves the work of mixing and shaping dumpling dough: frozen gnocchi.
The small potato dumplings cook right in the broth, where they plump up alongside turkey, corn, green beans, and mixed vegetables. No separate pot or homemade dumpling mixture is needed, and the soup goes from leftovers to dinner in about 30 minutes.
Start With Vegetables, Garlic, and Thyme
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat, then add mixed vegetables. The recipe uses a frozen mix of carrots, onions, and green peppers, which keeps prep work short.
Cook the vegetables until softened before stirring in minced garlic, fresh thyme, and salt. Frozen vegetables aren't the only option here. Extra vegetables left from another meal can also find their way into the pot.
Turn Leftover Turkey Into the Base of the Soup
Pour chicken broth into the stockpot, then add two cups of leftover turkey. Chopped green beans and corn join the turkey, giving another use to vegetables that may already be sitting in the refrigerator after dinner.
Using cooked turkey means the meat doesn't need a separate cooking stage. It needs time in the broth to heat through and become part of the soup.
Bring the mixture to a boil before reaching for the ingredient that takes the place of homemade dumplings.
Drop Frozen Gnocchi Straight Into the Broth
Instead of combining flour, fat, and liquid for dumpling dough, add a 24-ounce bag of frozen gnocchi to the boiling soup.
The gnocchi cook in the same broth as the turkey and vegetables, absorbing some of its flavor as they soften and plump. Cook them for about five minutes, or until they are done.
Since gnocchi are more substantial than noodles, they also give the broth the hearty texture expected from a turkey-and-dumpling soup without another recipe happening on the side.
Use the Vegetables Already in Your Kitchen
Frozen mixed vegetables make the first step fast, while leftover green beans and corn help fill the pot. That combination doesn't need to be fixed.
Other cooked vegetables can take their place when the goal is to clear out leftovers rather than buy another set of ingredients for soup. Keep the broth plentiful since the gnocchi need enough liquid to cook and expand.
Leftover turkey may be what starts the recipe, but frozen gnocchi are the shortcut that changes it from a standard turkey soup. Drop them straight from the freezer into the broth, give them a few minutes to cook, and the dumpling part is done without mixing a batch of dough.
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