Turkey Rice Soup
Creamy Turkey Rice Soup combines leftover turkey, butternut squash, a veggie mirepoix, and wild rice with a tasty broth. The best recipe to make after stuffing yourself at holiday gatherings and it uses up leftovers too!
Try my Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon or a Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup next!
Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Post holidays are a great time to use leftovers up in new and tasty recipes. In addition to this turkey rice soup that uses leftover turkey and butternut squash, be sure to try our Leftover Turkey Rice Casserole or Leftover Ham and White Bean Soup.
Got leftover mashed potatoes too? Try some delicious Cheesy Potato Pancakes. You’ll soon be making potatoes just to make this delicious recipe too!
For more ideas, head to this post –> 9 Delicious Ways to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers!
Why This Recipe Works:
- USES LEFTOVERS – When I make my Smoked Spatchcock Turkey for our gathering, I’m always looking for ideas to use some of the leftovers. I look forward to this soup every year!
- LAYERS OF FLAVOR – We’ve got lots of flavor going on here – the sautéed veggies, a roux to thicken, some tasty wild rice, and all of that leftover turkey and squash.
- GREAT FOR MEAL PREP – Since my hubby takes lunch to work every day, this is great for leftover leftovers!
What You’ll Need:
- Wild Rice – I recommend using actual wild rice, not the mix of wild and brown rice. The wild rice produces the best, nutty taste for this soup.
- Broth – Lower sodium chicken broth is constantly being restocked in my pantry, and is what I use for may of my soup recipes. 😀
- Butter – I used unsalted butter, but you could definitely use a combo of olive oil and butter as well.
- Veggies – Use onions, carrots, celery, butternut squash, and garlic.
- Seasonings – Onion powder, rosemary, thyme, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Flour – One third of a cup of all-purpose flour is needed to thicken the soup.
- Turkey – Use leftover turkey or chicken. I’ve also used rotisserie chicken as well.
- Dairy – I use heavy cream but you could use a combo of milk and cream as well.
Benefits of using wild rice:
- The nutty flavor is amazing and works well in soups and side dishes. Try my Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup next.
- The low calorie and high nutrient contents make wild rice a nutrient-dense food. It’s a truly impressive source of minerals and a great plant-based protein source.
- While wild rice takes longer to cook, it’s totally worth it for flavor and it also helps to fill you up.
How to make Creamy Turkey Rice Soup:
Step 1
Cook the wild rice. In a medium stockpot, bring about 3 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Add the rinsed wild rice and turn heat down to a simmer. Place the lid on the pan so that it’s almost fully covered (but not quite) and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. You want the rice to be al dente, or have a little bite to it. Remove from heat, and strain any excess broth.
Step 2
Sauté the veggies. In a large stock pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat and add the veggies – the onions, carrots, celery, and butternut squash. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
Step 3
Add flour and seasonings. Next add the flour and seasonings – the onion powder, rosemary, thyme, kosher salt and black pepper. Stir for about two minutes or until flour is completely absorbed.
Step 4
Add broth. Next add 6-7 cups of thicken broth and turn up heat slightly. Bring the mixture to a rolling simmer, and cook until thickened, approximately 15 minutes.
Step 5
Add back the turkey, wild rice, and heavy cream. Pour in the shredded turkey, cooked wild rice, and the cream to the pot. Stir well, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to get everything nice and hot.
Step 6
Let rest. Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for about 20 minutes so that the soup continues to thicken. Serve with some extra black pepper.
What to Serve with Turkey Rice Soup:
Soup is usually a full meal for me, especially when it’s loaded with protein like this one. However, the following are great pairings.
- Chewy French Bread – To dip and soak up all of that goodness!
- Sourdough Focaccia – The BEST focaccia recipe.
- Arugula Caprese Salad – The easiest salad.
- Classic Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Recipe FAQs:
For this soup, it’s best to cook the wild rice in advance because it takes awhile to fully cook. For soups with regular white or brown rice, you can cook it directly in the soup.
The best rice for soup varies. I prefer to use long-grain brown or white rice, or wild rice (in this case).
To keep rice from getting soggy, add it to the soup at a point where it will just be cooked when the entire pot is done. OR you can cook the rice separately and add it toward the end of the cooking process.
You can cook rice in either water or broth or even a combo of both. I prefer to cook rice in lower-sodium chicken broth to enhance the flavors.
Yes, rice with thicken your soup. It’s a wonderful carb to add to soups to help fill us up!
Storing and Freezing Soup:
- STORE leftover soup in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to four days. We usually add leftovers to meal prep containers so servings are ready to go when we’re hungry.
- FREEZE leftover soup in an airtight container with a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw completely in your refrigerator and then heat up servings in your microwave or add to a stock pot and heat on your stovetop.
Other Soup Recipes:
I’ve got tons of great soup recipes but here are a few of my favorites.
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Sweet Potato Turkey Chili
- Turkey Meatball Italian Wedding Soup
- Beef Vegetable Soup with Cabbage
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Turkey Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 8 oz. wild rice
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 4 large carrots – chopped
- 3 stalks celery – chopped
- 1 large onion – chopped
- 12 oz. butternut squash – or about 3 cups, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic – minced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon each, fresh thyme and rosemary
- 10-12 cups lower-sodium chicken broth – divided
- 4 cups shredded leftover turkey – dark and white meat
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a medium stock pot, bring 3 cups chicken broth to a boil. Add wild rice, and reduce heat to a fast simmer (medium low heat). Place lid on tightly and cook until rice is el dente, or approximately 45-50 minutes (or possibly a few extra minutes). Check towards the end to make sure there is enough broth and that the pan doesn't burn. You may need to add just a bit more broth. Fluff with a fork.
- In a large stock pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and butternut squash. Sauté for 5-6 minutes or until the veggies begin to soften. Add garlic during the last 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and spices (onion powder, rosemary, thyme, kosher salt and black pepper). Stir for a couple of minutes to fully incorporate the flour.
- Add approximately 6-7 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir until thickened, approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Add turkey and cooked wild rice to the soup, along with the heavy cream. Let simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
- Let the soup rest for a bit to allow the rice to plump up. You may need extra broth for leftovers.
Notes
Storing and Freezing Soup:
- STORE leftover soup in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to four days. We usually add leftovers to meal prep containers so servings are ready to go when we’re hungry.
- FREEZE leftover soup in an airtight container with a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw completely in your refrigerator and then heat up servings in your microwave or add to a stock pot and heat on your stovetop.
Hits the spot on a chilly night to have something so warm, rich and tasty. My husband made this with leftover turkey, after experimenting with SueBee’s Spatchcock Turkey recipe. Great way to use the leftovers, and we have plenty to freeze since he doubled the recipe to use all the turkey. Our son and daughter-in-law were happy to receive extra soup, for one or two meals they won’t have to prep next week.
Thanks for your feedback Jackie!
I had leftover turkey in my freezer and this was the perfect way to use it. Very healthy and fills you up.
This soup is delicious!! Great way to use my leftover turkey!
I love hearing this, Krista! Thank you. 🙂
Love the spices in this soup, and a great way to make Thanksgiving stick around a little longer
TRUE!
So flavorful! My first experience with butternut squash – love it that I only had to go buy 1 ingredient that wasn’t already in the house. I also included mushrooms.
Sounds delish, Danalea! Thanks for your feedback!
I love the turkey and wild rice combination. Also, an awesome way to eat leftover Turkey!
Amen!