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Leftover Turkey Stew with Butternut Squash

Turkey and Butternut Squash Stew

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4.9 from 7 reviews

This hearty and delicious Leftover Turkey Stew with Butternut Squash recipe is a great way to use leftover turkey! Grab a spoon and dig into this comforting stew with great fall flavors!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup green peas, frozen OK
  • 4 cups or more cooked turkey, cut or shred into bit sized pieces
  • 6 to 7 cups turkey or chicken stock (if you have less than 6 cups stock, add water to bring you to 6 or 7 cups of liquid).
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • a 14 1/2 ounce can of white beans (Optional), such as navy, drained and rinsed
  • a handful of greens such as spinach or kale cut into thin strips (optional)

Instructions

  1. Soften the onions: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan. Add the onions to the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
  2. Add veggies: Add the carrots, butternut squash, and garlic, and sauté for about two more minutes.
  3. Add stock: Add the stock to the pan, bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer on medium low.
  4. Add turkey and simmer: After the veggies have been simmering for about 10 minutes, stir in the turkey and peas. Let the stew simmer uncovered at least 30 more minutes until the veggies are good and tender. Stir occasionally as the stew simmers, and break up a few pieces of the squash as you do to distribute the flavor throughout the liquid.
  5. Finish the stew: A full hour of total cooking time is ideal to really let the flavor build up. Add any extra cooked vegetables, greens and/or white beans with about 15 minutes left in the cooking time. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve in a bowl along with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Amount of liquid: 6 cups of broth gives you a thick consistency, definitely more of a stew. Using the 7 cups gives it a more typical soup consistency. Your choice!
  • Stock: You can use store bought chicken or turkey stock if needed. But if you have the leftover turkey carcass too, making your own stock is a great idea. You can follow the tips for making turkey stock in the article above the recipe, or see my method for making chicken stock here — the same process applies with turkey.
  • Vary the vegetables based on what you have on hand. The recipe as presented is based on squash and other veggies that need to be cooked. If you have leftover cooked vegetables you would like to use, add them with about 10 minutes cooking time remaining. That will be just enough to heat them without getting too soft.
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