Today's the day when many American families will finish a big meal, only to find a huge turkey carcass staring them in the face. What to do with that leftover turkey? Make turkey stock and turn it into mouth-watering and nutritious turkey soup, of course. I've scoured the interwebs looking at turkey soup options, and here are my top ten picks.

Of course, this is a subjective list, and no one person can ever find all the good recipes for turkey soup, so if I missed your favorite turkey soup, please tell us about it or share the link in the comments.

Photo of making turkey stock
from Kalyn's Kitchen

Start with Homemade Turkey Stock!
I'm sure all these soups will still taste good even if you make them with canned chicken broth, but making homemade stock from a turkey carcass that simmers all day with onions, carrots, and celery really takes turkey soup to a whole new level. In my family I'm famous for making turkey stock in the roasting pan, and I always try to end up with the turkey carcass no matter where I'm having Thanksgiving dinner. Chef and food blogger Michael Ruhlman actually roasts turkey wings before the holiday so he can make turkey stock for Thanksgiving gravy. Jen at Modern Beet also weighs in on homemade turkey stock, and Israeli Kitchen uses turkey necks to make stock. Once your turkey stock is made, here are my top ten picks for turkey soup, in no particular order.

Photo of Spicy Turkey Soup with Chickpeas, Yogurt, and Mint
from Simply Recipes

Spicy Turkey Soup with Chickpeas, Yogurt, and Mint ~ A soup that really wowed me when it popped up in my feed reader is this Spicy Turkey Soup with Chickpeas, Yogurt, and Mint from Simply Recipes. I love all these flavors, but Elise says if you don't like mint you can substitute parsley.

Photo of Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup
from Recipe Girl

Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup ~ I also loved the sound of the Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup I found at Recipe Girl. Lori says this soup is only slightly spicy and slightly creamy, and her family loved it!

Photo of Tortilla Soup
from Food on the Food

Tortilla Soup ~ Tammy from Food on the Food is another blogger who has a thing for turkey carcasses, and her Tortilla Soup is not only delicious, but can also promote marital health. Tammy made the soup with chicken breasts, but leftover diced turkey would make this soup even easier.

Photo of Cream of Chicken (or turkey!) Soup
from Je Mange la Ville

Cream of Turkey Soup ~ Pretty much any soup that's made with chicken could also be made with turkey, which Michelle from Je Mange la Villa clarifies when she calls this recipe Cream of Chicken (or turkey!) Soup.

Photo of Turkey Orzo Soup
from A Fridge Full of Food

Turkey Orzo Soup ~ Another turkey soup that's just slightly creamy is the Turkey Orzo Soup from A Fridge Full of Soup. I love the tiny pasta shape called orzo, and I think this sounds fantastic.

Photo of Turkey Pho
from Closet Cooking

Turkey Pho ~ Pho (pronounced fuh) is a type of Vietnamese soup, often made with beef or chicken but if you have flavorful turkey stock turn it into this delightful-looking Turkey Pho from Closet Cooking.

Photo of Turkey Jook
from House of Annie

Turkey Jook ~ When I visited China I learned about congee or jook, a dish made with rice simmered in chicken (or turkey!) stock until the rice almost dissolves into the stock. In Asia this is often eaten as a breakfast dish, but I think the Turkey Jook from House of Annie looks like a great soup to eat for dinner on a cold night.

Photo of Turkey Bean Soup with Kale
from Good Things Catered

Turkey Bean Soup with Kale ~ The Turkey Bean Soup with Kale from Good Things Catered is definitely a slightly different take on turkey soup, and one I thought looked delicious. Katie uses canned beans in this too, which makes it super quick to throw together once you have the turkey stock.

Photo of Turkey Bone Gumbo
from Nola Cuisine

Turkey Bone Gumbo ~ Gumbo is another interesting variation for turkey soup, and the Turkey Bone Gumbo from Nola Cuisine uses the turkey bones to make stock, and then uses that stock and diced turkey meat in the gumbo.

Photo of Green Tomato and Turkey Chili
from Seasonal Ontario Food

Green Tomato (or tomatillo) and Turkey Chili ~ I hope I can sneak in a turkey chili in here with the soups, because the Green Tomato and Turkey Chili from Seasonal Ontario Food really looked good to me. This was adapted from a recipe that used tomatillos and pork, but when an early frost left Ferdzy with a lot of green tomatoes and Canadian Thanksgiving provided a surplus of turkey meat, she came up with this recipe.

More Ideas from BlogHer for Turkey Leftovers:
Save that Turkey Carcass and Your Leftover Turkey and Turn It Into Turkey Soup
Top Ten Ideas of What to Make with Leftover Turkey

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. Kalyn makes one or two new kinds of turkey soup every year at Thanksgiving time, but her two favorites would have to be Turkey and Pinto Bean White Chile or Turkey and Sweet Potato Soup with Black Beans.