Turkey Wild Rice Soup
This creamy turkey wild rice is so comforting and hearty! It's a very simple and easy recipe, and a great way to use Thanksgiving turkey leftovers.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 284kcal
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice blend yields about 2.5 to 3 cups cooked rice, see note below
- Olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth plus more as needed
- 2 cups diced cooked turkey breast chicken works too
- 1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cook rice according to package directions.
In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat. Sauté the diced onions, carrots and celery until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the minced garlic, thyme, dried oregano, and sauté for another 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes.
Stir in the flour evenly over the vegetables, stirring to coat evenly for another 2 minutes to cook off any raw flour taste. Then, gradually pour in the 6 cups of chicken broth, stirring to dissolve the flour and break up any lumps. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes, half-covered. It will thicken as it heats up.
Stir in the cooked rice and cooked turkey meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring back to a boil and then simmer for another 5 minutes, or until heated through. If needed, add more broth until desired consistency.
Finish it with half-and-half until warm. Serve with bread or crackers. Enjoy!
- Wild rice blend: For this recipe, I use Lundberg brand “wild rice blend,” which is a combination of wild rice, brown rice, and red rice.
- How much rice to cook: For this recipe, you need about 2.5 to 3 cups of cooked rice, which is the equivalent to 1 cup uncooked rice.
- Freezing: Skip the dairy addition. Freeze for up to 3 months in containers. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight first, or reheat from frozen in a pot.
- Store leftovers in sealed containers, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Substitutions and variations:
- Baby bella mushrooms: Cremini or white mushrooms.
- Thyme: If using dried thyme, use about ⅓ of the amount of fresh.
- Vegetable add-in ideas: Corn, green beans, spinach
- Any kind of rice will work here. You can even use short pastas, such as ditalini, arancini di pepe, or bowtie pasta.
Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 887mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3973IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 1mg