Food and Recipes Recipes Slow-Cooker Turkey and Dumplings Soup Move over turkey sandwich, there is a new leftover in town. By Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto is a recipe tester and developer who's been working in Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2017. Her recipes and writing have appeared in over 10 nationally distributed print publications as well as on various digital platforms. Anna's recipes have been showcased on the covers of magazines such as Food & Wine and Southern Living. Anna earned her BS in agricultural education and communication from the University of Florida and a degree in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. She is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier Birmingham chapter. When not in the kitchen, Anna enjoys hiking with her son, husband, and 2 dogs. She also loves fostering puppies for a local animal rescue group. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on October 12, 2021 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Active Time: 10 mins Slow Cook Time: 6 hrs 30 mins Total Time: 6 hrs 40 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe After we've spent days and even weeks preparing for an extravagant Thanksgiving meal, the last thing we want to do is get back in the kitchen—but Mama knows there's no letting precious leftovers go to waste. This recipe repurposes all the charm of Thanksgiving leftovers into one decadent, low-effort package. That's right: It's time to bring out the slow-cooker. This recipe for Slow-Cooker Turkey and Dumplings Soup is about to change the Thanksgiving leftovers game. This tasty slow-cooker soup is an easy way to make the most out of leftover turkey. In fact, we're calling these "day-after dumplings" because they make excellent use of Thanksgiving leftovers. Leftover turkey stays moist and succulent in a simple, well-seasoned broth, but the real star of the show here is the light, fluffy dumplings. Imagine old-fashioned chicken and dumplings, but better. Pro Tip: Before adding the dumpling batter, stir up to ½ cup leftover turkey gravy into the soup to make it thicker and richer. Ingredients 8 cups lower-sodium chicken broth 4 cups shredded cooked turkey (about 1 lb.) 1 cup chopped sweet onion (from 1 small onion) 1 cup chopped carrots (from 3 medium carrots) 1 cup chopped celery (from 2 large stalks) 1 tablespoon minced garlic (from 3 large garlic cloves) 1 tablespoon dried thyme ¼ cup cornstarch ¾ teaspoon kosher salt 1 ½ cups self-rising flour ¼ teaspoon black pepper ¾ cup whole buttermilk 1 large egg 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Directions Place chicken broth, cooked turkey, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and dried thyme in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW until turkey and vegetables are tender, 6 to 7 hours. Whisk together ¼ cup water, cornstarch, and kosher salt in a small bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture into turkey mixture. Cover and cook on HIGH until mixture begins to simmer, about 10 minutes. Whisk together self-rising flour and black pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk together buttermilk and egg in a small bowl. Whisk buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until combined. Stir in melted butter until just combined. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into simmering soup. Cover and cook on HIGH until a wooden pick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Print