A big bowl of creamy leftover turkey wild rice soup is about to become your favorite post-holiday meal!
Hearty but simple, this soup is the perfect way to use up leftovers. It's quick and easy to whip up, making it a great go-to after the cook-fest that Thanksgiving is.
This wild rice and turkey soup recipe is gluten free and can be dairy free with a simple swap.
The perfect soup for Thanksgiving leftovers
Especially if you make wild rice stuffing, too!
Don't worry, if you haven't hit up my Life-Changing Wild Rice Stuffing recipe yet or didn't make it for Thanksgiving this year, I'll indicate how to make this turkey soup with an uncooked wild rice blend, too.
But, if you did make wild rice stuffing, this soup will be even easier and FASTER - since the rice is already cooked and packing a bunch of flavor already, it cuts the cook time by quite a bit.
My family has the tendency to make an astronomically-large spatchcocked turkey every year, meaning we have lots of leftovers. So I'm always trying out new ways to use up that turkey meat. This soup has become my new favorite!
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Ingredients of note
LEFTOVER TURKEY: As designed, this turkey wild rice soup is meant to be made using leftovers from your big Thanksgiving meal! That said, I don't blame you if you want to make it year-round. Use any leftover turkey or chicken.
VEGGIES: Celery, onion, carrot, and mushrooms provide the veggie backbone for this recipe. You can omit the mushrooms if you'd like or incorporate other leftover veggies if you have them! Squash would be great in this soup.
SEASONINGS: Sage and thyme are the flavor gods for this soup. Season to taste - make sure to add more seasonings or salt if you think it needs it!
WILD RICE: Of course, you'll need wild rice for this soup! We use leftover wild rice dressing, but you can use uncooked wild rice as well - the cook time will be just a tish longer and you'll need more broth.
BROTH: We rarely have leftover turkey broth the day after Thanksgiving, but use it if you've got it! Otherwise, chicken broth works well.
How to make turkey wild rice soup
Like most soups, this one starts with a blend of celery, onion, and carrot.
Soften that down, then add some winter herbs like sage and thyme as well as mushrooms. Add the leftover wild rice (or uncooked rice) and broth, then the leftover turkey.
Finally, before serving, add a bit of cream OR full-fat coconut milk. That's it!
Using leftover wild rice?
If you're using leftover wild rice stuffing, the cook time will be significantly shorter. Basically, you just need to heat everything up! If you're making it this way, I add the turkey and rice at the same time.
You'll also use significantly less broth.
Using uncooked rice?
However, if you're using uncooked rice, you'll use twice the broth and have to cook the mixture for quite a bit longer to allow the rice to absorb the broth.
When making this turkey wild rice soup this way, I hold off on adding the turkey until the rice is cooked. Since you're using leftover (already cooked) turkey, the last thing you want to do is add the turkey at the beginning and end up with rubbery, over-cooked turkey. All the turkey needs to do is heat up!
More recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers
On the hunt for more recipes to use up those leftovers? Here are a few favorites!
Still have turkey to use? Swap the chicken in Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie Soup with turkey!
Use up leftover mashed potatoes by making Mashed Potato Waffles - great for breakfast!
Made ham, not turkey? This Creamy Ham & Potato Soup is dairy free and super hearty.
Top tips from Chelsea
- Use turkey broth if you have it. That'll enhance the flavor - and it's a great use for that leftover turkey carcass!
- Incorporate the veggies you've got. Leftover green beans, brussels sprouts, or roasted squash? Toss it into this soup!
- Omit the cream to keep it light. Not feeling a rich meal? Omit the cream to keep this soup light but still comforting and delicious.
- Season to taste. Before serving, give the soup a taste to make sure there's adequate salt and other seasonings. Feel free to add more if you feel it's off!
More cozy gluten free soup recipes
Loving those comforting soup vibes? Here are a few more to check out!
- Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup (Paleo, Dairy Free)
- Italian Sausage and Broccoli Soup
- Loaded Potato & Cauliflower Soup
- Shrimp Gazpacho with Avocado Relish
📖 Recipe
Creamy Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A big bowl of creamy leftover turkey wild rice soup is about to become your favorite post-holiday meal! If you're using leftover rice stuffing, this is a quick and easy favorite. If you're using uncooked rice, it's still easy - you'll just need a little more broth and a longer cook time.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 ½ cups diced)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried sage)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 ½ cups leftover wild rice stuffing OR wild rice blend (OR 1 cup wild rice + ½ cup basmati rice)
- ½ cup sugar-free raisins
- 4-8 cups chicken broth (SEE NOTES)
- 2 heaping cups shredded or chopped leftover turkey
- ½ cup heavy cream OR full-fat coconut milk (OR omit entirely)
- Fresh thyme, for garnish
- Leftover cranberry sauce, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, cooking for 6-10 minutes until vegetables have softened. Add the thyme, sage, rosemary, and mushrooms, cooking for 1-2 minutes or until the herbs are fragrant.
- Add the rice, raisins, and broth (SEE NOTES). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occassionally, for 40 minutes or until the rice is cooked through and has absorbed much of the broth. If the rice has absorbed too much or all of the broth, add more broth.
- Stir in the leftover turkey and cream. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes to heat the turkey through, then serve immediately. Garnish each bowl with fresh thyme and a dollop of cranberry sauce, if desired.
Notes
If you're making this soup with leftover wild rice stuffing, start with 4 cups of broth. You likely won't need more broth than that! Add the turkey at the same time as the rice stuffing, and omit the raisins (unless you don't mind a little more raisin action). Simmer for only 10 minutes before adding the cream.
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