Turkey neck soup

Turkey neck soup is a thick, golden home soup in which turkey necks simmer slowly until the meat falls off the bone, followed by carrot, celery, potato, pumpkin and zucchini. Small pieces of dark meat, a broth with real body from gelatine, all from a modest cut at the butcher.

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Gluten freeDairy freeMeatAllergens:Celery

Updated

Turkey neck soupIllustration
Time3 hCook 2 h 30 min
Pot8 bowls3.6 litres
Per bowl202 kcal14.1 g protein · a 450 ml bowl
Cost of the pot₪62for the pot, about ₪7.8 a bowl

The story of Turkey neck soup

Turkey necks are one of the humblest cuts at the butcher, and they are the secret of many Israeli home cooks: a few necks give a pot the kind of body that usually takes a whole chicken. In many Mizrahi and Israeli homes, a pot of turkey neck soup with vegetables is a winter evening or Friday night soup, and the moment when everyone picks the meat from between the vertebrae with their fingers is part of the fun.

The soup travels between communities and changes colour in every home. Some season it with hawaij and serve it with coriander, some cook it with white beans and tomato paste until it is nearly a stew, and some add red beans, Swiss chard and plenty of lemon. Turkey necks also go into other soups as a trick, in place of beef bones, to give a rich broth in fewer hours.

What makes Turkey neck soup itself

Turkey neck soup is not built on a lot of meat but on a lot of bone and connective tissue. The neck is a chain of small vertebrae wrapped in dark muscle and collagen, and after an hour and a half at a gentle simmer the collagen turns into gelatine that gives the broth body and shine. That is why the vegetables go in only once the necks are nearly done, and why the soup sets into a soft jelly in the fridge.

Turkey neck soup for any number of people

Change the number of people and the bowl size, and every ingredient updates in grams, with the cost, calories and protein per bowl.

Bowl size
Units
3.6litres in the pot
5Pot to use, litres
₪62Cost of the pot
₪7.8per bowl
202kcal per bowl
14.1g protein per bowl
IngredientAmountCost
Necks and broth
Turkey necks, cut into 5 to 6 cm pieces1.2 kg₪38
Water3 l
Bay leaves1 g · 2 pcs₪0.4
Cracked black pepper2 g₪0.3
The vegetables
Canola oil30 ml₪0.5
Large onion, chopped250 g · 1 pcs₪1.5
Carrots, in thick slices300 g · 3 pcs₪1.5
Celery root, cubed250 g₪3.7
Celery stalks, sliced150 g · 3 pcs₪3.0
Potatoes, quartered500 g · 3 pcs₪3.0
Orange pumpkin, in large cubes300 g₪3.9
Zucchini, in 3 cm slices300 g · 2 pcs₪3.9
Seasoning
Turmeric3 g₪0.3
Salt16 g₪0.0
Parsley, chopped30 g₪1.5
Dill, chopped15 g₪0.9
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Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026. Nutrition from the ingredients in grams, before cooking.

How many calories in Turkey neck soup? Nutrition facts and calorie calculator

Change the amount of any ingredient, drop one, or pick a lighter version, and the numbers per serving update at once: calories, fat, carbs, protein, sodium and fibre.

Turkey neck soup has 45 calories per 100 ml. A 450 ml bowl made with our recipe has 202 calories: 14.1 g protein, 5.8 g fat and 21.7 g carbohydrates. A 250 ml cup has 112 calories.

Lighter

Ingredients, for the whole recipe

  • 1,200 g62 kcal per serving
  • 2 pcs0 kcal per serving
  • 2 g1 kcal per serving
  • 30 ml30 kcal per serving
  • 1 pcs13 kcal per serving
  • 3 pcs15 kcal per serving
  • 250 g14 kcal per serving
  • 3 pcs3 kcal per serving
  • 3 pcs48 kcal per serving
  • 300 g7 kcal per serving
  • 2 pcs6 kcal per serving
  • 3 g1 kcal per serving
  • 16 g0 kcal per serving
  • 30 g1 kcal per serving
  • 15 g1 kcal per serving

What each add-on adds to Turkey neck soup

Values for the amount in the row, from the national food database.

Add-onCaloriesProtein, gFat, g
A tablespoon of oil122013.8
A slice of white bread792.50.5
A slice of challah12641.1
A side cup of cooked rice, about1823.50.3

How to make Turkey neck soup

In cook mode the screen stays on, tap a step when it is done, and the timers run next to each step.
  1. Rinse the necks, put them in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
  2. In a clean 8 litre pot, heat the oil and fry the onion over medium heat for 6 minutes, until soft. Add the turmeric and stir for a minute.
  3. Add the necks, water, bay leaves and pepper and bring to a boil. Skim the foam, lower to a gentle simmer, partly cover and cook for 90 minutes.
  4. Add the carrots, celery root and celery stalks and cook for 15 minutes.
  5. Add the potatoes, pumpkin and salt and cook for 15 minutes.
  6. Add the zucchini and cook for another 15 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender and the meat comes away from the bone easily.
  7. Remove the bay leaves, add the parsley and dill and cook for 2 minutes. Taste and correct the salt.
  8. Turn off the heat, rest for 10 minutes and skim off the fat that rises. Serve a piece or two of neck in each bowl.

The science of Turkey neck soup

Kitchen science

Why turkey necks make a thick broth

The neck is made of small vertebrae wrapped in connective tissue rich in collagen. At a gentle simmer for an hour and a half or more, the collagen unwinds and turns into gelatine, which dissolves into the broth. Gelatine gives the soup a full feel in the mouth and a shine, and in the fridge it sets into a soft jelly, a sign of good broth rather than a problem.

Kitchen science

What the foam is and why you blanch

The grey foam is soluble proteins from the meat and blood that set with heat, trap air bubbles and fat, and float. It is harmless, but stirred back in it leaves the soup cloudy and greyish. A 5 minute blanch in water you throw away removes most of it, and skimming at the start of cooking takes the rest.

Kitchen science

Why neck meat is dark and tasty

A turkey's neck muscles work all the time, so they are rich in myoglobin, the oxygen storing protein that makes meat dark, and in fat between the fibres. Meat like this has more flavour than breast but is tougher, and it needs long cooking for the fibres to separate.

Kitchen science

Why a gentle simmer, not a hard boil

At a hard boil the bubbles break the fat into tiny droplets that mix into the broth, and the soup turns greasy and cloudy. At a gentle simmer, around 90 degrees, the fat stays on top and is easy to skim, and the meat softens without drying out.

Turkey neck soup in every kitchen

With white beans

Soaked white beans cook with the necks from the start, and tomato paste and paprika go in halfway. The result is thick, reddish and almost a stew, an old-style soup in many homes.

Yemenite, with hawaij

Hawaij for soup instead of turmeric, plenty of potatoes and chopped coriander at the end, with zhug beside the bowl. Here the necks stand in for beef and bones.

With red beans and Swiss chard

Red beans, chopped Swiss chard, lots of coriander and lemon. A pot that simmers slowly and is eaten through the day, getting deeper with every reheat.

With chicken necks

Chicken necks are smaller and more delicate and need 60 minutes instead of 90. The broth is lighter and paler, close to chicken soup.

Pressure cooker

Cook the necks for 35 minutes under pressure, then open, add the vegetables and simmer for 25 minutes with the lid off.

Common Turkey neck soup problems and how to fix them

The meat on the necks is still tough

The necks have not cooked long enough. Keep simmering gently for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the meat comes off the vertebra when pulled with a fork. If the vegetables are already soft, lift them out meanwhile and return them at the end.

The neck soup is too fatty

Turkey neck skin carries a lot of fat. Skim with a wide spoon after a 10 minute rest, or chill overnight and lift off the layer that sets.

The soup came out grey and cloudy

The necks were not blanched or skimmed, or the soup boiled too hard. Strain through a fine sieve and return to a gentle heat. Next time, blanch for 5 minutes before cooking.

The vegetables turned to mush

They went in with the necks at the start. The vegetables need only 30 to 45 minutes, so they go in stages after the necks' 90 minutes, from hardest to softest.

The soup tastes bland

Much of a neck is bone, so there is less meat to give flavour. Add salt with the vegetables, taste and correct at the end, and leave the necks in the pot during the rest.

Storing, freezing and reheating

4 days

In the fridge

3 months

In the freezer

2+4

To cool

Bring it from 60 to 21 °C within two hours and down to 5 °C within four more. Split a big pot into shallow boxes.

75 °C

Reheating

The soup sets into a jelly in the fridge, which is a good sign. Reheat over medium heat to a gentle simmer. Potatoes turn grainy after freezing, so if you freeze the soup, add fresh potatoes when reheating.

Nutrition of Turkey neck soup

From our recipe, per bowl and per 100 g, next to the national food database.

ServingkcalProtein, gFat, gCarbs, gFibre, g
Our recipe, a 450 ml bowl20214.15.821.74.7
Our recipe, 100 ml453.11.34.81.0
Typical Turkey neck soup, 100 g345.40.31.70.6

What the ingredients of Turkey neck soup cost

What each ingredient costs in one pot, and where to buy it.

IngredientPriceIn this potWhere to buy
Turkey necks, cut into 5 to 6 cm pieces₪32 per kg₪38Supermarket
Orange pumpkin, in large cubes₪13 per kg₪3.9Greengrocer
Zucchini, in 3 cm slices₪13 per kg₪3.9Greengrocer
Celery root, cubed₪15 per kg₪3.7Greengrocer
Celery stalks, sliced₪6.9 each₪3Greengrocer
Potatoes, quartered₪5.9 per kg₪3Greengrocer
Large onion, chopped₪5.9 per kg₪1.5Greengrocer
Carrots, in thick slices₪4.9 per kg₪1.5Greengrocer
Parsley, chopped₪4.9 each₪1.5Greengrocer
Dill, chopped₪4.9 each₪0.9Greengrocer
Canola oil₪15 per litre₪0.4Supermarket
Bay leaves₪360 per kg₪0.4Supermarket
Cracked black pepper₪139 per kg₪0.3Supermarket
Turmeric₪86 per kg₪0.3Supermarket
Salt₪2.1 per kg₪0Supermarket

Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026, VAT included. Vegetable prices change with the season.

Make Turkey neck soup a meal

Shabbat

Ready Shabbat food

Soup, hamin, mains and sides, with a quantity calculator and prices.

Plan Shabbat
Hosting

Hosting trays

9 trays to go with the soup, with a planner by number of guests.

Tray planner
Events

Catering

A whole menu in grams per guest, with a reheating table.

Menus

What to serve with Turkey neck soup

Serve in deep bowls with a piece or two of neck, fresh bread or challah, and zhug or hot pepper on the side for those who like it. A spoonful of white rice at the bottom of the bowl works well too.

Turkey neck soup in large quantities: events, offices and communities

How much of everything by number of guests, at a 450 ml bowl. For institutional pots, catering and community kitchens.

GuestsLitres30 l potsCost of ingredients
25111₪195
50221₪390
100452₪781
200904₪1,561
5002259₪3,904

Every ingredient for any number of guests is in the calculator above: type the number of people.

Order Turkey neck soup

A ready pot for Shabbat, an event or the office, ordered ahead.

  • Cooked to order, for Shabbat, an event or the office.
  • Tell us how many people and when, and we send a quote.
  • Delivery in Tel Aviv from ₪35, free over ₪750.
Ask for a quote for Turkey neck soup

Order Turkey neck soup for a large event

Large orders in Israel and abroad: events, offices, synagogues, communities and institutions.

  • In Israel: cooked in Tel Aviv and delivered to events in the area, and to large events anywhere in the country on a quote.
  • Abroad: for communities, events and restaurants. Tell us where, how many and when, and we come back with a quote and options.
  • Institutional quantities and a shopping list for any number of guests, in the calculator above.
Ask for a large-order quote

Frequently asked questions

How long do turkey necks take to cook in soup?

An hour and a half to two hours at a gentle simmer, until the meat comes off the bone when pulled with a fork. In a pressure cooker, 35 minutes is enough.

Should I blanch turkey necks before making soup?

It is not essential, but it helps. Five minutes of boiling in water you discard removes most of the foam and blood, and the soup comes out clearer and paler.

What is the difference between turkey necks and chicken necks?

Turkey necks are bigger, with more meat and more collagen, and take about an hour and a half. Chicken necks take about an hour and give a lighter broth.

Can I cook turkey neck soup with beans?

Yes, it is one of the most common versions. Soaked white beans go in with the necks, and tomato paste and paprika are added halfway through.

How do you eat turkey necks from the soup?

With your fingers, picking the meat from between the vertebrae. For children or guests, pull the meat off beforehand and return it to the pot.

Can I freeze turkey neck soup?

Yes, for up to 3 months. Potatoes turn grainy after thawing, so it is best to freeze it without them and add fresh ones when reheating.

Is turkey neck soup meat for kashrut?

Yes. Turkey is poultry and the soup is meat in every sense. This recipe is dairy free and gluten free.

How many calories are in Turkey neck soup?

A 450 ml bowl of Turkey neck soup made with our recipe has about 202 calories and 14.1 g of protein. Per 100 ml: 45 calories.

How much does it cost to make Turkey neck soup at home?

A pot of 8 bowls costs about ₪62 at Israeli shelf prices in October 2026, about ₪7.8 a bowl. The calculator above works it out for any number of people.

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