If you are looking for a great recipe for your leftover turkey, you found it in this Turkey Rice Soup!
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This Turkey Rice Soup is perfect to make with your leftover turkey because it has all the things in it that you probably already have on hand from your Thanksgiving cooking extravaganza: carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and fresh herbs.
I make my Turkey Rice Soup with butter and a little half and half to give it some creaminess. If you want to make this dairy-free, it’s easy to do. Just use oil in place of the butter to sauté the vegetables and either skip the half and half or use a plain non-dairy creamer.
This is an easy way to make good use of a lot of your leftovers. I just love the flavor of this Turkey and Wild Rice soup and it won’t take you nearly as long as it took to make your Thanksgiving feast.
If you use your turkey bones to make stock this soup will really sing, but it’s also great using chicken stock, so use what you have.
Sherry wine compliments the flavor well here, but if you don’t have it that’s okay, your soup will still be delicious.
The first time I had slivered almonds in my turkey and wild rice soup I knew I’d never go back to leaving them out. Another great addition if you have them. They give the soup an unexpected, but welcome crunch.
If it’s no where near Thanksgiving when you’re reading this, but you still are craving this cozy soup, you can certainly make this soup with leftover chicken as well. It’s just as good!
Ingredients for the Turkey Wild Rice Soup Recipe
4 tablespoons Butter
A well-balanced soup requires good fat content, and butter will do that for our delicious turkey rice soup. It’ll improve the mouthfeel and round out the flavors. Olive oil works, too, if you need this to be dairy-free.
Vegetables
Soup without vegetables? No, thank you! Here are my go-to veggie choices:
- 2 Carrots – I love their orangish-red color. Plus, they add a nice crunchy bite to the soup.
- 1 Large Onions – Yellow onions are your best pick. They have a naturally sweet flavor profile that’ll work great in the recipe.
- 2 Celery Stalks – This one’s for the love of greens. Celery stalks will make your soup fresh and add a nice, sharp, herbal flavor to your comforting soup.
- 3 Garlic Cloves – The aroma! Yep, that’s what we’re adding this one for. Add three minced garlic cloves and watch them work their magic. Of course, garlic has great medicinal qualities, too. (source)
8 ounces Mushrooms
Depending on the mushroom variety you like, get 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms. I love using cremini or button mushrooms for a delicious umami flavor.
4 Tablespoons Flour
This is our thickening agent. 1-to-1 all-purpose gluten-free flour works if you need your soup to be gluten free. Otherwise, all-purpose flour(unbleached, organic flour is my preference) is what I use here.
Fresh Herbs
I prefer fresh herbs over dried ones because of the flavor and aroma they add to any dish. For this recipe, use a combination of 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme and a teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary. If you’re using dried versions, you’ll need a lesser quantity. (1 teaspoon of dried thyme and 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary will be good)
4-5 Cups Chicken or Turkey Stock
Since this is a turkey soup, I prefer sticking to turkey broth or stock. It enhances the rest of the flavors of the soup. If you have leftover turkey bones, making homemade turkey stock will make this soup exceptional.
But if you don’t have any, you can easily use chicken broth or stock. The flavor will be slightly different but still very tasty. 4-5 cups of stock will be enough.
1 Cup Uncooked Wild Rice or Wild Rice Blend
Wild rice is long-grain rice with a nuttier flavor. It’s amazing for your heart health and keeps type 2 diabetes under control. Wild rice has a higher protein and antioxidant content when compared to white rice. However, if you prefer sticking to your regular rice, you can use white rice here. Brown rice will work, too. Make sure you alter the cooking time accordingly. You’ll need a cup of wild rice or wild rice blend.
3 Cups Shredded Cooked Turkey
Do you have any leftover Thanksgiving turkey on hand? Well, it’s time to use it! Just shred it into pieces and add it to your homemade turkey soup. You’ll need 3 cups at least. Turkey is an excellent lean protein source. Maybe you have leftover Butter and Herb Roasted Turkey Breast? That will work, too!
1/2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
Our secret ingredient for that extra punch of flavor! You can use soy sauce in place of it, too.
1/2 Cup Half and Half
Make your soup creamier and more filling with this ingredient. Don’t have any? No worries; use heavy cream or whole milk instead. Need this to be dairy free? Coconut milk (lite or full fat) is a good substitute. If you prefer a more neutral flavor than coconut milk, I recommend the Boathouse Farms dairy-free milk I use in this Non-dairy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe.
Salt and Pepper
Not sure I even need to include this in the list. of ingredients. Of course we need salt + pepper. No one likes a bland soup! Nope!
Optional Ingredients
1/2 Cup Sherry Wine
Just half a cup of it will make your soup shine with a subtle, sweet flavor.
1/4 Cup Slivered Almonds
Almonds and good health go hand in hand. Plus, they’ll add a nice crunch to your soup. You’ll only need 1/4 cup of these.
How to Make Turkey Rice Soup
It’s a simple and fail-proof recipe. Just stick to the steps, and you’ll have a comforting bowl of turkey rice soup ready in no time!
- Take a large pot or Dutch oven and heat butter in it over medium heat.
- Add your veggies, season them with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Next, drop in your mushrooms and garlic. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Now add the flour and let everything cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add chicken or turkey stock, herbs, Worcestershire sauce, and rice.
- Let everything come to a simmer before covering and simmering some more. Thirty minutes will do.
- Add your shredded turkey leftovers (and sherry, if you’re using it) and let everything cook for 15-20 minutes, uncovered.
- Stir in the half and half and dress with slivered almonds.
- Adjust the seasonings and consistency, and enjoy!
Variations to Try
- Chicken and Rice Soup – Use shredded rotisserie chicken, chicken broth, and rice for it. The rest of the recipe remains the same.
- Make it Anti-inflammatory – This Anti-Inflammatory Chicken and Rice Soup is nourishing and delicious!
- Skip the Meat – Making a vegetarian version? Just skip the turkey and add more veggies and use vegetable broth instead. Sweet potatoes would be a great vegetable to add here. You can also add some beans or lentils in place of the lentils.
Tips for Storing Leftover Turkey Soup
Soups are a breeze to store and this Turkey Rice Soup is no different. Just let your leftover soup come to room temperature before pouring it into an airtight container and storing it in the fridge. It’ll easily survive 3-4 days.
If you want to freeze your tasty soup for later use, skip the rice. Freezing with rice will make your soup mushy and soggy. So, cook your soup without the rice, and add them when you’re ready to serve. This way, you’re looking at four months of freezer life.
If you make this Turkey Rice Soup recipe, or any of my other healthy recipes, please leave a star rating below! It’s so helpful for other readers to see which recipes are tried and true! I’d also love to see it–share your photo of this dish and tag me on Instagram and I’ll feature you!
If you’d like more delicious and healthy soup recipes, scroll below the recipe card and see what I’m loving during this season!
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Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
This Turkey and Wild Rice Soup is perfect for your leftover turkey or use leftover chicken!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (chopped if you prefer, but not necessary)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 4–5 cups turkey or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice
- 1/2 cup sherry wine (optional)
- 3 cups shredded cooked turkey
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Melt your butter in a large Dutch oven or stock pot.
- Add the carrots, onion, and celery to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook another 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and cook about 3-5 minutes.
- Add 4 cups of the turkey or chicken stock, thyme, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, and rice.
- Bring to a simmer and then cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the sherry and turkey and simmer, uncovered, another 15-20 minutes, until the rice is cooked.
- Stir in the half and half and slivered almonds.
- Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Add more stock if soup is too thick for your liking. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Category: soups
Nutrition
- Calories: 335
- Sugar: 5.5g
- Sodium: 253.7mg
- Fat: 12.8g
- Saturated Fat: 5.9g
- Carbohydrates: 28.7g
- Fiber: 2.9g
- Protein: 24.1g
- Cholesterol: 77.5mg
Healthy Soups Everyone Loves
Is there anything better than soup season? Here are some favorite healthy soups from my website! I hope you find a new one to love.
- Sweet Potato Soup
- Spicy Black Bean Soup.
- Easy Oven Chicken Stew
- Autumn Squash Soup
- Chicken Quinoa Soup
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Cold Busting Soup
This recipe was first published in 2016. A video was added in 2019 and more details were added to the post text in 2023.
Absolutely amazing!! We smoker a turkey breast last night and had about 5 cups of meat leftover.
We’re all feeling a little under the weather so my son googled recipes for soup and came across this one. He and I had fun making it together. We doubled most everything except the half and half. Did not disappoint!!! Delicious!!!
I have made this soup before and loved it so much! I went to make it again but I cannot find the receipe on this page, am I missing some?
I’m not sure what happened, but I think I restored it. Is is showing now? Sorry about that!
Yes thank you!
This was THE BEST and is now my FAVORITE soup to make at home.
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. It was a HIT at my house.
I would rate this soup a 10!!! I love it. I used only a tbs of butter and olive oil to sauté the veggies and fat free 1/2 and 1/2. Added extra stock. It is a perfect winter soup
Delicious, satisfying, comfort food. Will definitely make it again!
So happy to hear that!
Absolutely delicious! This is a definite keeper! Loved the texture and extra flavor the almonds added. YUMMY!
I stumbled upon this recipe when searching for a good soup to use up our Thanksgiving leftovers, and I’m so glad I did! I made it over the weekend and I am making it again for dinner tonight, that’s how good it is!!
So happy to hear that, Emily! 🙂
I was looking for something a little different from our standard Thanksgiving leftover turkey noodle soup. I’m so glad I found your recipe. It is absolutely delicious. My 5 year old picky eater declared me to be the best cook over this one. Thank you for sharing.
Would this recipe turn out okay if I used olive oil instead of butter and almond milk instead of half and half or just added more broth instead of the half and half? Dairy free is my goal especially with dinners.
I suspect u cud use some good olive oil to replace the butter and just omit the cream for dairy free option – the trick is good rich bone broth for better flavor – I think the almond milk may Change the flavor and suggest not adding.
Yes, you can use olive oil in place of the butter. For the half and half, you can either leave it out all together, OR use a non-dairy milk. For the best flavor, I recommend Ripple pea milk. I’ve found that to have the most neutral flavor. You can use almond milk, but it will change the flavor.
Thank you! I’m glad I asked. I’ve tried to use almond milk a couple times as an alternative in similar recipes and it never turns out right. The consistency is usually off or it tastes funny (I use unflavored unsweetened almond milk). Thank you again!
I used the turkey carcass to make a homemade broth and just threw in the leftover herbs from thanksgiving dinner while it simmered. I strained this and followed the rest of the recipe. It was amazing and is now a Thanksgiving tradition!
This has to be the best soup I have ever made! Restaurant quality and just so hearty! I will make this again! Lil tip I grabbed (not mentioned in this recipe) is to soak ur wild rice about 6 hrs ahead of making the soup!
This was a great way to get rid of my leftover Thanksgiving turkey. It was worth the effort, so yummy.
when does the rice get added in? I don’t see it in the instructions…
Thanks!
It’s in step 5. You add it along with the stock. 🙂 Enjoy!
This was delicious! Have you tried freezing it? Any thoughts on whether it would freeze well?
We always eat it up so quickly, we never have any to freeze! So I haven’t tried it. But, I do feel like it would freeze fine. Please let me know if you try it!
Love this recipe…..it has become our go to recipe for leftover turkey. I did add extra broth…..probably twice what the recipe called for.
Thanks for letting me know, Barb!
I made this and love it so does my husband. I also gave the leftovers to my sick pastor and his wife. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome Tina! I’m glad you enjoyed this. 🙂
We made this for dinner tonight – absolutely delicious! The almonds take it to the next level! We did add more broth at the end as it was a little thick for our taste, but overall this is a fabulous recipe!
Thanks, Carole! So glad to hear that!
I thought this tasted amazing. I love the creaminess of the soup. I made my soup in the crock pot. I forgot to add the sherry. I can’t wait to make this again, this time with the sherry!
Thanks for the feedback, Denise! 🙂
If cooking in the crock pot, do you still cook everything first? How long do you cook in crockpot?
I sure would love nutritional breakdowns and carb counts on your recipes.
I do provide it for most of my recipes since I have had access to a calculation tool about a year ago. For this one I didn’t include it because I was traveling for Thanksgiving and honestly, I totally forgot to calculate it! I will do it now and insert the nutritional label. 🙂 Let me know if there are any other recipes you need the info for and I can get it.
This looks great, but I don’t see the turkey in the ingredient list. How much do you add and when?
Well that was a terrible thing to forget! It’s 3 cups shredded turkey and you add it with the sherry. I’m editing the recipe now!