Turkey Wild Rice Soup is a healthy, delicious meal that makes the most of your leftover turkey meat and stock.
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This will be the first year that I don't have a 20+ pound bird in my oven on Thanksgiving day. The kids will be at their mom's house, and Phil and I will be visiting my sister and parents.
I'll miss the leftovers from the usual 20 pound bird...
Holiday Dinner turkey leftovers
But I'm not worried: we have a big turkey dinner several times a year (half-Thanksgiving is a thing in our house!). I always plan to have leftovers so that I can...
Get creative with the meat.
If you make the most of your leftover turkey, you can get a LOT of really good, healthy meals for your effort. For example, you can use up the meat in a variety of meals like Creamy Green Chile Turkey Enchiladas, Turkey Tetrazzini, Red Enchiladas or Chilaquiles, and more.
Make turkey stock.
The day after Thanksgiving, I always make 2-day crockpot turkey stock. I do this by first compacting the turkey carcass as much as possible (for example, jamming some bones into the cavity). I cram it into my crockpot with aromatics and herbs, and then cover with a mix of water and broth.
After 2 days simmering on low, what comes out is liquid gold. All you have to do is strain out the solids and grit. Check out the dark color of the broth in these pictures!
That 2-day simmer melts all of the collagen out of the bones. You're left with about 5 quarts of concentrated stock. You can dilute it if you want, or leave it as-is for the richest flavor. If you chill the stock, you'll notice that it (completely or partially) solidifies like Jell-O. Don't worry: that's the collagen—and it's delicious.
This 2-day stock becomes the basis for such soups as Green Chile Chicken Pozole, Slow-Cooker Pho Ga, and today's turkey wild rice soup. Any stock not used in soups right away can be stored in the freezer for as much as 6 months. (I like to use screw-top freezer containers like these.)
On to turkey wild rice soup. Note: for convenience, I've written instructions for a stovetop method and crockpot method.
Making Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Work ahead: make the rice
I make the rice separately because it tends to soak up too much broth. (It also gets too mushy in the crockpot method.) Do plan ahead for this: wild rice takes quite a bit longer to make than regular rice (about 45 minutes as opposed to around 20 for white varieties). So, I like to make the rice (this is my current favorite) a day ahead according to the instructions on the package. Then I add it to the soup during the final 20 minutes or so before we plan to eat.
Work ahead: chop the vegetables
The veggies in turkey wild rice soup include sliced carrots, chopped onions, diced celery, minced garlic, and quartered baby bella (crimini) mushrooms. All of these can be meal-prepped in advance. I always store them according to the order I'll be adding them to the pot. For example, I add the onions, celery, and carrots into the pot at the same time, so I store them together.
Simmering
On the day you're finishing the soup, sauté the onions, celery, carrot, and garlic. Add some herbs and spices (I use a mix of fresh herbs, like rosemary, and dried, like my favorite seasoning mix). Then deglaze the pan with a bit of white wine. Add the mixture to the crockpot—if you're using that method—along with the cooked turkey, broth, and salt and pepper. Set on low and go. Otherwise, simmer the soup in the same pot on the stovetop.
Adding the mushrooms and rice
For the crockpot method, I don't add the mushrooms and rice until about half an hour before the soup is done. This keeps them from getting overcooked and mushy. I also check the seasoning, adjusting as necessary.
Serving turkey wild rice soup
I love to dish my turkey wild rice soup into bowls and sprinkle on some freshly ground black pepper, parsley, and grated Romano or Parmesan cheese. The soup is perfect served up with a hunk of rustic bread.
That's it! Enjoy!!
—xoxo Michelle
P.S. If you need Thanksgiving/Christmas Dinner hints, be sure to check out my Work-Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner Meal Plan. You'll find all the recipes you need, plus a printable shopping list and game plan! Or, if you'd like more leftovers recipe ideas, check out Using up Leftovers! Also, this meal exemplifies the power of a well-stocked pantry for making easy meals. Check out more inspiration in Easy Pantry Meals – Living Out of Your Pantry (and refrigerator and freezer)!
Recipe
Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Turkey Wild Rice Soup is a delicious way to use up your leftover turkey meat and stock. Plan ahead and make the rice and turkey stock in advance. Follow either the stovetop method or the crockpot method.
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice mix, cooked
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 cup onions, diced
- 1 cups carrots, sliced
- 1 cups celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoon mixed Italian herbs, herbs de Provénce, or your favorite seasoning mix, (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup white wine
- 3 cups cooked turkey
- 3 quarts turkey stock, (preferably homemade; see Recipe Note #1)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 8 oz crimini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered (for very large mushrooms, cut into 6ths or even 8ths)
FOR SERVING
- freshly ground black pepper
- chopped fresh Italian parsley
- grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
STOVETOP METHOD
- Add the oil to a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the carrots, onions, and celery. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are softened, 5–7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, mixed herbs, salt, pepper, and bay leaves; sauté an additional minute. Turn heat to high and add the wine. Carefully scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
- Add the turkey stock, cooked turkey, and rosemary. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Add the cooked rice and mushrooms. Lid the Dutch oven, leaving it cracked slightly open. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Check the seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve the soup garnished with freshly ground black pepper, chopped parsley, and grated cheese.
CROCKPOT METHOD
- Transfer the mixture to the crock of a slow-cooker. Add the turkey stock, cooked turkey, and rosemary. Lid the slow-cooker and set on low for 8 hours.
- 30 minutes before you plan to eat, add the cooked wild rice mix and mushrooms. Stir to combine and lid the slow-cooker. Raise the heat to high and cook 30 minutes more.
- Check the seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve the soup garnished with freshly ground black pepper, chopped parsley, and grated cheese.
Notes
- This soup turns out best when you use homemade turkey stock, especially my 2-day Crockpot Turkey Stock: your roasted turkey carcass simmers in the crockpot to extract every bit of collagen and flavor.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
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Corina Blum says
This sounds so good and is a brilliant recipe for using up leftover turkey! We're visiting family at Christmas but then we have more family coming to stay with us after we get home so I'm not sure if I'll get to cook at turkey at Christmas or not. I'm always disappointed not to have all the leftovers as there's so much to do with them. Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice!
Michelle says
Thank you, Corina! I know: this year I'm going to my sister's house for Thanksgiving, so no leftovers for me! It makes me very sad. Oh well, I'll just make a turkey for Christmas! 😉
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
Oh this sounds good im pinning to my Christmas left overs board. Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare
Michelle says
Thank you, Jacqui!! 😉