I’ll be sharing my favorite turkey and leftover turkey recipes all week leading up to my favorite holiday: Thanksgiving. Today’s recipe is my absolute favorite leftover dish: Turkey Pho. It’s comforting, aromatic, and a wonderful way to transform leftover turkey. If you’re cooking a whole bird, consider trying a smoked turkey recipe instead.
My family is completely obsessed with pho (Vietnamese noodle soup). The moment I start simmering the broth they gravitate toward the kitchen, noses in the air, declaring, “That has to be pho!” Pho is all about the broth and the garnishes—layers of aromatics that build deep, fragrant flavor. If a smell could make you happy, pho is that smell.
Leftover Thanksgiving turkey is perfect for a makeover into Turkey Pho. After a few days of turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy, most people crave a fresh change. Turkey pho offers lighter, fragrant flavors that still fill you up without feeling heavy. It’s an excellent alternative to casseroles or tetrazzini and brings a bright, savory lift to leftover meat.
Making turkey pho is straightforward: toast the spices, add stock and aromatics, then simmer until fragrant. Assemble bowls with soaked rice noodles, slices or shreds of leftover turkey, a few jalapeño slices, and pour the hot broth over everything. Finish with fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime, and sauces like sriracha or hoisin if you like extra punch. It’s simple, satisfying, and likely to become a repeat meal.
Cook’s Notes
- This soup really shines when made with homemade stock from the turkey carcass. If you don’t have homemade stock, a good-quality canned chicken or turkey stock will still work—especially once you add the toasted spices and aromatics.
- Rice noodles are the traditional and most compatible choice. They don’t require boiling—simply soak them in very hot water for about 10 minutes while you finish the broth and prep the garnishes. If rice noodles aren’t available, you can substitute another noodle, but rice noodles deliver the classic pho texture and flavor.
- Watch the toasted spices carefully. Toasting adds major flavor, but they can burn quickly. Once they become fragrant, add the stock right away and be prepared for sputtering.
- Serve generously. Pho is traditionally eaten from large bowls—don’t be shy about filling them.
Turkey Pho {Leftover Turkey Makeovers}
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
For 1 quart of the Broth:
- 2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick roughly broken
- 4 whole star anise
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 quart turkey or chicken stock
- 1 piece of ginger 3-inch size, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch of scallions or green onions reserve the green parts for garnish, use the white parts in the broth
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
For assembling and garnishing each bowl of Pho:
- 1–5 slices fresh jalapeño pepper depending on spice tolerance
- 1 handful pho rice noodles soaked or cooked according to package directions
- thin slices or shredded leftover turkey
- 1 generous handful bean sprouts
- sliced scallions or green onion tops green parts only
- fresh basil sprigs
- fresh cilantro sprigs
- 1–3 lime wedges
- sriracha and/or hoisin sauce to taste
Instructions
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Place a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the whole spices (coriander seeds, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves) and stir until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes. Carefully add the stock—the pot may sputter. Turn heat to high, add the ginger, the white parts of the scallions, fish sauce, and brown sugar. When the broth reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20–30 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into another pot and keep it at a gentle simmer while you assemble bowls and garnishes.
To Assemble and Garnish Each Bowl of Pho:
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Place jalapeño slices in the bottom of each bowl according to taste. Add a generous portion of soaked rice noodles, then arrange turkey slices or shredded turkey over the noodles. Pour the boiling broth over the bowl to heat the turkey. Top with bean sprouts, scallion greens, basil, and cilantro. Squeeze lime wedges into the bowl and leave them to infuse the broth. Serve with sriracha and hoisin sauce on the side. Traditionally, pho is eaten with chopsticks and a soup spoon, but a fork is fine too. Slurping is encouraged!
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the specific ingredients you use.
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This was my sixth post in a daily posting challenge for November. Follow along for recipes, family anecdotes, and occasional giveaways.