I Made Prime Rib Soup and It's My New Favorite Way to Use Up Holiday Leftovers

Angel Albring

Fri, December 26, 2025 at 3:47 PM UTC

7 min read

Prime rib soup is a hearty, slow-simmered soup made from leftover prime rib bones and meat, with variations ranging from creamy to brothy.
Ingredients for prime rib soup include vegetables like onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and potatoes, along with leftover prime rib bones and meat, herbs, spices, and beef stock.
Making prime rib soup involves cooking vegetables, adding beef stock, water, red wine, and leftover prime rib bones and meat, simmering for several hours, and adjusting seasoning to taste before serving hot.

If you're like me, you probably have a long list of things to do with many holiday leftovers. I have lots of go-to ideas for giving ham , turkey , mashed potatoes and more a new life for a day or two (or three or four) after the big meal , but I'm not as confident about what to do with that leftover prime rib .

The meaty roast feels a little higher stakes because it's pricey, so you really don't want to mess it up, even in leftover form. To figure out some tasty (and easy) ways to use it up, I did as many cooks do these days and headed online. During my scrolling, I ran across the perfect solution: prime rib soup .

After looking around for the "best" prime rib soup recipe, I realized something pretty quickly: no one agrees on what prime rib soup is supposed to be. Some versions are rich and creamy, almost stew-like, while others are brothy and veggie-packed, closer to a classic beef soup.

Every recipe seemed to be doing its own thing, which actually made it surprisingly freeing. Rather than following a strict recipe, I decided to wing it using the ingredients I had in the house and let the ingredients and bones do the work.

This soup came together quickly because the goal wasn't fancy. I was looking for something that was warm, comforting and flavorful. As it simmered, the house smelled like a Sunday dinner that had been planned all day.

I served mine with rice, and it was exactly what I wanted it to be. Even my husband, who isn't much of a soup person, loved it. If you're the kind of cook who prefers to improvise instead of following proper recipes or are looking for permission to wing it in the kitchen after all that intense holiday cooking, this might be the perfect project for you. Read on for all the meaty details.

What Is Prime Rib Soup?

Prime rib soup is a hearty, slow-simmered soup built around leftover prime rib bones and meat. Instead of letting those bones go to waste, they're used to create a flavorful broth that becomes the foundation of the dish. The remaining meat adds richness and substance, turning leftovers into something entirely new.

As I learned in my recipe research, prime rib soup doesn't have a single definition. Some versions are creamy, using heavy cream or even cheese , while others are simpler and brothy. This flexibility is part of its appeal. The soup adapts to what you have on hand and the kind of soup you prefer or are in the mood for.

Prime rib soup, like the one below, shared by content creator Brenda Smith , is also practical. It's a one-pot meal that allows you to use up your leftovers, making it ideal for when you want something warm and filling without much hands-on effort, especially after the holidays.

Ingredients You Need for Prime Rib Soup

This prime rib soup starts with vegetables to build a savory, flavorful base, but the specific mix of ingredients is flexible. I used what I had on hand that I wanted to get out of the fridge, including onion, garlic, celery, carrots and small potatoes (diced). I wanted to add mushrooms , too, for an additional boost of umami, but mine were too far gone.

The real star is leftover prime rib bones with meat still attached, plus an extra chunk of meat for good measure. Parsley, thyme and bay leaves (mine were dried, but you can use fresh), salt, pepper and paprika rounded out my seasoning blend.

I used butter to start the soup (you could also use olive oil ), and needed some beef stock and a splash of red wine to help build the broth.

How To Make Prime Rib Soup From Leftover Prime Rib

I started by cooking garlic and onion in butter. I used around a tablespoon of diced garlic and about half a medium red onion because that's what I had in the house, but you can use a bit more or less, depending on what you have. I cooked the garlic and onion until they were softened and fragrant, which took about three minutes.

Next, I added a couple of stalks of chopped celery, some baby carrots I had in the fridge and a couple of diced potatoes. I cooked those veggies until they started to get tender, another 3 to 5 minutes or

After the veggies were cooked, I added the beef stock (I used an entire 32-ounce container) and three cups of water, followed by half a cup of red wine. I brought the soup to a boil, then added the leftover prime rib bones and meat, along with about a teaspoon each of the dried parsley and thyme, plus a couple of bay leaves.

After a short boil, cover the pot and reduce the soup to a low simmer. After several hours (it took me four hours), the soup will develop into a rich and hearty dish. Keep in mind that the flavor of the broth will intensify as it simmers and you can adjust the seasoning as the soup cooks. Also, depending on how you like your soup and the ingredients you're using, you might want to simmer your soup for less time. Taste as you go to make the soup that you prefer.

Serve hot, spooned over rice if desired, for a filling and comforting meal.

My Honest Thoughts on Prime Rib Soup: Flavor, Ease and Would I Make It Again?

This soup was far better than I expected for something I completely improvised. The flavor was rich and savory without being heavy, and the vegetables retained their texture and flavor after the long simmer. Serving it with rice made it especially satisfying and filling.

The process was easy, with very little active cooking time. The biggest surprise was how much everyone enjoyed it, especially my husband, who typically skips soup altogether.

I would absolutely make this again, especially after a holiday meal. It's practical, comforting and a good reminder that some of the best recipes come from trusting your instincts instead of detailed instructions.

4 Tips for Making Prime Rib Soup

1. Give it some time

Letting the soup simmer low and slow is key. Rushing this process results in a thinner broth with less depth.

2. Make some final adjustments

If the soup reduces too much, additional water or stock can be added toward the end. Seasoning should be adjusted after simmering, as the flavor will concentrate as the soup simmers.

3. Tweak the texture

If you prefer a thicker soup, you can whisk in a cornstarch slurry to the broth during the last 15 minutes of cooking time. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked into 2 tablespoons of cold water or broth. Whisk that in and let it simmer for a bit to check the texture.

4. The dish that keeps on giving

Leftovers store well in the refrigerator and often taste even better the next day. Reheat gently on the stove. If you used rice, it should be stored separately to avoid becoming overly soft.

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This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Food & Drink section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.