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This hearty turkey stew made with leftover turkey, bacon, leeks, carrots and potatoes is the comfort food your colder nights need! You can add a splash of cream or keep it as it is. Either way you will love this delicious and cozy recipe.
This turkey stew is a meal in itself but it would taste infinitely better is paired with our Dutch Oven Bread. If you don’t have time to make a yeasted bread, try our easy Honey Buckwheat Soda Bread.
Not long ago I asked my readers about their cold weather cravings. What did they reach for more often? Soups, stews or casseroles?
Soup came on top, followed by a stew. No surprises here, we all long for hearty meals that warms us up from the inside when the weather gets chilly.
As much as I love soups, I have to admit that my preferences will always lie with stews. I am not sure what it is but it might have to do with the texture. I find thick and robust stews fill me with all the comfort and joy I need.
What do you put in a stew?
Anything you have in your fridge and pantry. Stews are excellent for getting rid of leftovers and are a very frugal way to feed a family.
Generally tougher cuts of meat and root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, parsnips, etc are used in stews as they require longer cooking times. Longer cooking time help stews develop delicious flavours.
Stews are also very similar to soups. The only difference is the ingredients are cooked in less liquid, so they are stewing together rather than being boiled/simmered in a liquid like soups.
The stew recipe I am sharing today was inspired by leftover Thanksgiving turkey I had to deal with rather quickly. I made a leftover turkey soup for all soup lovers, my version of a British classic in turkey and lentil curry, and turkey a la king for a bit of nostalgia.
And I also made a turkey stew for myself in hopes you would love it too.
Apart from leftover turkey meat I added leeks, carrots, bacon lardons for a bit of smokiness, thyme and bay leaves for extra flavour and large potato chunks. I also used homemade turkey stock, another effective use of leftovers.
I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to add cream to my turkey stew recipe or leave it dairy free, so I’ve tried both ways.
Here is what my stew looked like straight from the oven. It’s nice, thick and incredibly flavourful.
At this point you can stir in 1/3 cup of double/heavy cream, which will make your stew so much more luxurious!
Tender turkey, large chunks of carrots and potatoes swimming in silky smooth gravy. I can’t imagine a better meal in colder months than this creamy leftover turkey stew!
Recipe Tip
- Stew is adaptable, easy to customize based on your preferences and the ingredients you have available. You can use my recipe as it is or make it your own.
- If you do make changes to the recipe, I would recommend keeping some root vegetables though. They hold their shape when cooked for a long time in a stew and taste amazing when they absorb the broth.
- Don’t cut your vegetables too small as they can disintegrate into the stew. Cut them chunky so they remain sturdy.
- This is a recipe designed for leftover turkey, but the exact same recipe can also be used for leftover roast chicken.
- Adding cream makes the stew more luxurious. Add it to the pot just before serving. If you want to keep this stew dairy free, it’s is just as delicious and less calorific without the cream. Your choice!
Serving suggestions
By the time it’s ready to eat, the aroma from this stew will have your stomach rumbling. It has everything you need for a complete meal right in the pot, so you won’t have to put in more time and effort before enjoying.
But it’s a great idea to plan ahead and have a loaf of chunky bread ready to clean your bowl. Lovely Dutch oven bread is beautiful with stew, but rye or rosemary spelt bread add a tasty twist.
Storage and leftovers
A hearty stew like this is likely going to lead to leftovers, which is great news as you probably need a break from time in the kitchen! Time in the refrigerator will actually help the flavours to meld and intensify, making the stew even more flavourful the next time you try it.
Cover the leftovers tightly or place in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop.
If you chose not to use cream, this stew can be frozen as well. It’ll keep for up to 3 months. Let it thaw completely before reheating on the stovetop.
More delicious stew recipes from around the world
- Irish Beef Stew
- Russian Sweet and Sour Beef Stew “Solyanka”
- Hungarian Beef Goulash
- Italian Chicken Stew
- French Beef Bourguignon
- Texas Style Chili Recipe
- Vietnamese Beef Stew
Hearty Turkey Stew
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 100g/4-5 strips, bacon lardons or thick cut bacon, sliced
- 1 leek
- 2 carrots, cut into large pieces
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 2 tbsp flour, heaped
- 1 litre/4 cups This is an affiliate link.chicken stock, or turkey stock
- 250g/2 cups cooked turkey or chicken
- 2 potatoes, large, cut into large pieces
- 2 This is an affiliate link.bay leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- 80ml/1/3 cup double/heavy cream, optional
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in 1 tbsp of butter (if using bacon lardons) in a large Dutch Oven over medium heat. Omit the butter if using fatty bacon (especially true for the US readers). Drain excess bacon fat but 2 tbsp. Add sliced leeks, carrots, celery and thyme and cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat, add pressed garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add 2 heaped tablespoons of flour and mix, then add the stock gradually scraping down the bottom of the pot, bring to a boil, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add 2 potatoes in large chunks, turkey, bay leaves and and cook uncovered in the preheated oven at 180C/350F for 45 minutes.
- Once the stew is cooked, stir in double/heavy cream if desired. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- Stew is adaptable and easy to customize based on your preferences and the ingredients you have available. If you do make changes to the recipe, I would recommend keeping some root vegetables though. They hold their shape when cooked for a long time in a stew and taste amazing when they absorb the broth.
- Don’t cut your vegetables too small as they can disintegrate into the stew. Cut them chunky so they remain sturdy.
- Adding cream makes the stew more luxurious. Add it to the pot just before serving. If you want to keep this stew dairy free, it’s is just as delicious and less calorific without the cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
In my opinion, this was more like soup than stew. It was very thin and I had to thicken it with a rounded 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch. I also added an additional cup of turkey. I used my homemade turkey stock. I loved the flavor of this soup. Thyme is one of my favorite spices and it really made this stew delicious. Next time I might add some frozen peas. This made 4 generous servings.