Want to try a unique and delicious dish? Learn how to make a Louisiana turtle soup with this step by step guide. A hearty New Orleans favorite that goes back generations.
Especially favored by the Cajuns, it's a Creole-style dish with sherry and spice with an almost stew-like texture.
This is made with Snapping Turtle and the really big ones are not easy to catch, plus you've got to have cajones to try - they're scary looking dinosaurs.
Jump to:
- Why My Recipe
- Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
- Preparing the Turtle Meat
- Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
- Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Recipe Troubleshooting
- Necessary gear: Equipment
- Related Recipes
- How to store leftovers
- Mel's kitchen notes
- Frequently asked questions: FAQs
- Louisiana Turtle Soup
- Fan Favorite Recipes
- 💬 Comments
Why My Recipe
I'm in South Louisiana, we catch and cook snapping turtles all the time. I've also had lots of practice making this soup and have perfected the ingredients to give you the best Turtle Soup recipe out there.
Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
- Turtle Meat (bone-in or boneless)
- Bay Leaves
- Kosher Salt
- Whole Black Pepper corns
- Yellow Onions
- Green Bell Pepper
- Celery
- Garlic
- Unsalted Butter
- All Purpose Flour
- Canned Crushed Tomatoes
- Creole Seasoning
- Cayenne Pepper
- Paprika
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Dry Sherry
- Fresh Parsley
- Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Lemons (zest and juice)
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.
Preparing the Turtle Meat
Cleaning a snapping turtle is really difficult and time consuming. Most of the time when I'm given the meat it is on the bone. This is one of the reasons it's so expensive to purchase, it's not only the catching of the turtle, but the processing of it too.
If it's on the bone, it's ok, just give it a really good rinse, try to remove as much of the gristle and fat as you can. We'll be cooking the meat bone-in so you're good to go.
If you've purchased the turtle meat, it's likely boneless, so you've nothing you need do, except allow to thaw and rinse off. Here's a great recommendation for purchasing online: La Crawfish Company.
Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe steps. For more detailed instructions visit the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: To a large stock pot add the turtle meat (bone-in or boneless). Cut the tops and tails off the onions, bell pepper and celery and add them to the pot, along with the garlic cloves, salt and peppercorns. Add about 12 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 3-4 hours.
- Step 2: Pass the fluid of the broth you've just made through a sieve and keep the broth to the side. Remove the meat as best you can, without the veggies etc. Set to the side.
- Step 3: To a large pot or Dutch Oven, add the butter and melt.
- Step 4: Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon (or use a whisk) until totally mixed in.
- Step 5: Stay continuously stirring this roux until it reaches a peanut butter color.
- Step 6: Add the chopped onions, bell peppers and celery. Then the garlic.
- Step 7: Slowly start to add the turtle broth you've made, stirring constantly, until you have a thick gravy like consistency.
- Step 8: Next add the crushed tomatoes, seasonings, Worcestershire sauce and sherry. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes like this.
- Step 9: Add the reserved turtle meat, chopped boiled eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and chopped parsley and allow to simmer together for about 10 minutes.
- Step 10: Serve, with some extra parsley to garnish.
Hint: Cooking the turtle meat first to make the broth really helps soften the meat and gives a really flavorful broth. Don't skip this step.
Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Thyme - although thyme is in Creole Seasoning, you could add some more.
- Fresh Spinach - add some baby spinach at the end.
- Oregano - same as thyme above.
- Hot Sauce - If you like a little more heat.
- Tomato Puree - if you can't get crushed tomatoes, you could add chopped tomatoes with some added puree.
- White Pepper - many tomato based dishes benefit from white pepper.
Recipe Troubleshooting
- Boneless Turtle Meat - if you're using boneless (lucky you) - you won't need to cook the broth as long. Play it by ear, but about 2 hours should do it.
- Not enough turtle meat - the closest thing to turtle meat (in my opinion) is alligator meat, or even frog legs... I know that's not always easily available to some. In this circumstance add a little ground beef to bulk it up.
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Necessary gear: Equipment
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I use a nice big stock pot at the beginning of this recipe, as well as a sieve to strain the broth.
Then I cook the soup the remainder of the time in a large Dutch Oven.
I have some affiliate links in the recipe card below for the equipment I used.
Related Recipes
How to store leftovers
Once the turtle soup has cooled completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Turtle soup does freeze well, store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Mel's kitchen notes
Did you know a turtle has 7 different types of meat. Each meat has a different taste, color and texture. Some taste like chicken, others like beef, or fish.
Frequently asked questions: FAQs
The big alligator snapping turtle is what is used for a New Orleans Turtle soup. It's definitely not those cute little turtles you see basking in the sun on the side of the bayous.
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Louisiana Turtle Soup
Video
Equipment
- 1 Sieve
Ingredients
- 5 Pounds Turtle Meat bone-in will weigh more, or boneless.
- 3 Each Bay Leaves
- 10 Each Whole Black Peppercorns
- 8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2 Each Yellow Onions diced
- 1 Each Green Bell Pepper deseeded and diced
- 3 teaspoons Salt
- 2 Ribs Celery diced
- 8 Cloves Garlic divided
- 12 Cups Water
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 (29 Ounce) Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Creole Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- ½ Cup Dry Sherry
- ⅓ Cup Fresh Parsley chopped
- 3 Each Large Hardboiled Eggs chopped
- 1 Each Lemon zest and juice needed
Instructions
- Rinse and prepare turtle meat. If it's on the bone it's ok, it's going to fall off the bone after preparing the broth. Add the turtle meat to a large stock pot.5 Pounds Turtle Meat
- Cut the tops and tails off the onions, bell peppers and celery and add those 'offcuts' to the stock pot, along with 4 garlic cloves, bay leaves, some parsley, salt and whole peppercorns. Add water to cover (about 12 cups) and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer for 3-4 hours.3 Each Bay Leaves, 10 Each Whole Black Peppercorns, 3 teaspoons Salt, 12 Cups Water
- After the stock has finished cooking the meat should be falling off the bone. Skim any foam from the top then pass the fluid through a sieve, and set the stock (broth) aside. Remove all meat, as best you can, without taking the gristly fatty pieces and set aside.
- In a large Dutch Oven, add the butter over medium-high heat and melt.8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- Add the flour and stir together. Cook until a peanut butter color is reached. Do not burn the roux here, continue stirring almost all the time.1 Cup All Purpose Flour
- Add the chopped onions, bell peppers and celery to the roux and stir together. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add 4 chopped garlic cloves.2 Each Yellow Onions, 1 Each Green Bell Pepper, 2 Ribs Celery, 8 Cloves Garlic
- Slowly add the turtle broth, stirring all the time, until an almost thick gravy-like consistency is reached.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire Sauce, Creole Seasoning, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika and sherry. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.1 (29 Ounce) Can Crushed Tomatoes, 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, 1 Tablespoon Creole Seasoning, ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, 1 Tablespoon Paprika, ½ Cup Dry Sherry
- Add the turtle meat, chopped boiled eggs, chopped parsley, juice of 1 lemon and the zest. Stir together, gently.⅓ Cup Fresh Parsley, 3 Each Large Hardboiled Eggs, 1 Each Lemon
- Allow to simmer together for about 10 minutes, then serve garnished with more parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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